Abstract:
A device for attracting fish comprises an underwater electrically powered light with photoelectric means for activating the light at dusk and deactivating the light at dawn, and weighted to negative buoyancy, the light being connected to an external ballast box in which the lamp ballast, photoelectric switch, and ground fault circuit interrupter are contained and connected to ordinary household current.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/294,139, filed May 29, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A. Field of Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to devices used to attract fish and devices used as aids to navigation, and more particularly to devices, which can usefully perform both functions.  
           [0004]    B. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    A variety of fish attractant devices have been proposed, including the use of submersible light emitting devices such as the floating fishing light shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,414 to Downs, the lighted bait bucket described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,145 to McDonald, and the submerged light shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,976 to Hurt. Such devices are generally portable and are designed to be deployed from a small boat. Such devices are by nature impermanent and intended to be used in the submerged state for not limited time. Being normally battery operated, such devices cannot be used for long periods in one location without removal.  
           [0006]    It has been found advantageous to provide a permanent submerged light for use at locations convenient to shore homes or docks to attract fish and aid in navigation, despite the difficulties inherent in operating an electrically powered light underwater for extended periods.  
         SUMMARY OF TH INVENTION  
         [0007]    The invention herein described is a 110-volt, high intensity discharge, underwater light intended for permanent or portable installation in three to fifteen feet of water. It is intended uses are attracting fish for night fishing, lighting up shallow water areas for nighttime boat navigation and improving visual appeal of dock areas at night by submerged illumination of the water. The light is turned on and off every night with a photoelectric eye stitch. The unit is protected with an internal ground fault circuit interrupter breaker (G.F.C.I.).  
           [0008]    The device is made up of two major elements. The first element is a ballast box mounted near and plugged into a standard 110-volt electrical outlet at or near the desired location of the light. The ballast box is mounted on a fixed structure and is plugged into a household circuit outlet. It is designed to turn the underwater light on at sunset, and off at sunrise, through the use of a photoelectric cell. A weatherproof electrical junction box contains the ballast for a 175-watt mercury vapor lamp, a photoelectric switch, a G.F.C.I. breaker, and a female duplex electrical outlet, into which a power output cord can be plugged. The second major element is a light member made of a 4-inch diameter piece of PVC pipe filled with cement at one end and having a fixture for a 175-watt mercury vapor lamp at the other end. A combination of wax, plastic resin and glue seal the lamp and the lamp fixture from water. The cement weighs the light member down so it stays on the sea floor. The lamp bulb protrudes from the top of the PVC pipe so that it is exposed to the water when submerged. The cement at the bottom of the pipe and the lighter lamp bulb on top makes the light member self righting such that the light member tends to return to a position in which the lamp is higher than the weighted bottom section The light member is intended to rest on the seafloor in two to 12 feet of water and is anchored by the weight of cement inside the light member. The light member may include a 6 inch piece of ½″ PVC pipe that protrudes from the bottom of the light member to penetrate the seafloor and stabilize the position of the light member when deployed. The light member has an electric cord that has a male plug, which plugs into the electrical outlet in the ballast box. All or a portion of the electric cord from the light member runs through a length of protective rubber hose.  
           [0009]    This light is intended for use underwater along side commercial and private docks in fresh and saltwater. The intent of the device is to illuminate the water in the immediate vicinity of the light for aesthetic value and to view the fish in the area surrounding the light member. The light member operates on 110/120-volt a/c electricity, frequently from a household circuit.  
           [0010]    The principal aim of the present invention is to provide a new and improved submerged electric light which meets the foregoing requirements and which is economical to manufacture from commonly available components and is easy to install and maintain.  
           [0011]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the Description of the Preferred Embodiments and the Drawings and will be in part pointed out in more detail hereinafter. The invention consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the appended claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention showing the device as installed.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section view of a light member of a preferred embodiment of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a side view of a light member of a preferred embodiment of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a ballast box for a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the cover plate removed.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    With reference to the Drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the Figures, an underwater light system in accordance with the present invention is generally designated in FIG. 1 by the numeral  10 . The entire underwater lighting system comprises two main parts, light member  12  and a ballast box  44  as shown in FIG. 2, and electrical cord  46  connecting light member  12  and ballast box  44 . Ballast box  44  is mounted near and plugged into a standard 110-volt electrical outlet (not shown) by means of a three wire power cord  48 . The ballast box  44  is weatherproof and encloses a ballast component  50  comprising such electrical current transformer and components as are necessary for operating a 175-watt mercury vapor lamp, a photoelectric switch  52 , a ground fault interrupter breaker  54 , and a female duplex electrical outlet  56 . Outlet  56  is where the cord  46  from light member  12  will be plugged to connect the light member  12  to power supplied from box  44 . The components contained in ballast box  44  are assembled and connected conventionally such that the outlet  56  is provided electrical power by the ballast component  50  when the photoelectric switch  52  is activated by lack of exposure to light, and the ground fault interrupter breaker  54  protects system  10  in the event of a short circuit.  
         [0017]    Light member  12  is conveniently made of a length of poly vinyl chloride (PVC) pipe  14  having a bottom end  18  and a top end  20 . In top end  20  a porcelain lamp holder  16  is sealingly secured within a matrix  22  of paraffin. Lamp holder  16  is connected to one end of power cord  46 , which enters an opening in pipe  14  toward bottom end  18 , the connection being enclosed within the paraffin matrix  22 . A three inch diameter PVC bushing  24  is secured to top pipe end  20  by an adapter  26 , also formed of PVC. A 175-watt mercury vapor lamp  28  is installed into lamp holder  16  and the annular gap between the base of the glass bulb portion of installed lamp  28  and bushing  24  is sealed with a first ring  30  of marine grade silicone glue and a second ring  32  of plastic resin. One or more brackets  34  are secured to pipe  14  at attachment fittings  42  located on the side of pipe  14  between ends  18  and  20 , and extend upward, over and across the bulb of lamp  28  to protect lamp  28  and provide a convenient handle for the light member  12 . After the lamp holder  16  is secured within the paraffin matrix  22 , the interior of the pipe  14  is filled with a weighted material  36  such as ready-mix Portland cement which seals the light member  12  and provides sufficient weight that light member  12  has negative buoyancy sufficient to secure light member  12  to the sea floor when installed. The lamp end of member  12  is more buoyant than the bottom end  18  so that when submerged, light member  12  rests on the sea floor with bottom pipe end  18  down. A PVC end cap  40  seals and encloses pipe bottom end  18 . The end of power cord  16  not attached to lamp holder  16  has a male plug (not shown), which plugs into outlet  56  to draw power from ballast component  50 . A length of protective rubber hose  38  is secured to the pipe  14  and surrounds so much of power cord  46  as is submerged.  
         [0018]    The method of assembling a preferred embodiment of the light member of the present invention includes the following steps: First, lamp bulb  28  is glued into the bushing  24  with marine glue  30 . The bulb of lamp  28  is pulled into the bushing  24  by screwing the lamp holder  16  onto the lamp  28 , which has been inserted through bushing  24 , thereby pulling the lamp  28  against the bushing  24 . The glue  30  is allowed to harden and is then reinforced and backed by plastic resin  32 , which is poured into the inverted lamp and bushing assembly, around the lamp  28  base and the mouth of lamp holder  16 . The bushing  24  and adapter  26  are then glued to each other and to the top end  20  of pipe  14 . The bare end of the electric cord  46  is inserted through a hole in pipe  14  and connected to the electrical contacts of lamp holder  16 . The connection of cord  46  to lamp holder  16  is covered by a matrix of paraffin wax  22  that has been melted and poured over the base of the lamp holder  16  in the inverted, partially assembled light member  12 . The weighted material  36  is then poured as a slurry into the interior of pipe  14  to fill the remaining open volume. Finally end cap  40  is secured over pipe bottom end  18 .  
         [0019]    While preferred embodiments of the foregoing invention have been set forth for purposes of illustration, the foregoing description should not be deemed a limitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. For example, while mercury vapor lamps have characteristics, which are beneficial for use in system  10 , it is anticipated that other types of commonly available electrical lamps may be employed for lamp  28 . Similarly it is anticipated that other materials may be substituted for the PVC of pipe  14 , adapter  24  and end cap  40 , such as polyethylene, fiber reinforced resin, or similar materials so long as they have the necessary quality of being durable and impervious to sea water.