Patent Publication Number: US-2012042468-A1

Title: Fishing Line Tool

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to a tool for clearing fishing line of water fleas accumulated when fishing in waters containing water fleas and the method of use for this tool. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The spiny water flea and the fishhook water flea are small crustacean species which have invaded North American waters, for example, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. These fleas are problematic for fishing with fishing line since the fleas can stick to fishing lines. In particular, when fishing line is drawn through waters containing water fleas, the fleas stick to the fishing line and can mat onto the line. Fleas on fishing line may make it difficult or even impossible to spool the line in without stopping to remove the fleas from the line. 
     Commonly, fishermen use their fingers and/or fingernails to scrape the mats of fleas off of the line as they reel in the line, for instance, at the point of the rod guides or at the end of the fishing swivel. Depending on the amount of fleas and variety, the fleas on the line may turn into a fibrous clot that is very difficult to remove or they may remain as a loose coating that is easily removed with finger tips. In either case, the manual removal of water fleas from fishing line is messy and time consuming. 
     A fishing line called FLEA-FLICKER™ was developed with a flattened profile monofilament line to prevent accumulation of fleas on it. However, aside from being restricted to using only this brand of line, the some drawbacks of this line are that it is not suitable for several types of controlled depth fishing, it does not spool smoothly, and it also reflects light which can spook fish. 
     A need for a tool to remove water fleas from any type of fishing line was needed so that fishermen had the flexibility to use their fishing line of choice and remove whatever size of water flea deposit accumulated, easily and effectively. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an elongate tool with a handle at one end and a channel at the other end, said channel of a width to enable a section of fishing line to pass through tightly. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fishing line tool comprising a handle and a blade, said blade including therein a channel slightly wider than the thickness of a fishing line. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fishing line tool comprising a first grip and a second grip in between which are a first knife, first shim, second knife, second shim, and third knife In this fishing line tool the first shim may be thicker than the second shim, such that the first shim is 0.02 inches thick, the second shim is 0.15 inches thick and the knifes are each 3/16ths of an inch thick. 
     The fishing line tool additionally comprises a pair of screws and a pair of barrel nuts to hold said fishing line tool together, and said grips, knifes and shims each including two sets of holes positioned so that the screws enter through said first grip and said barrel nuts enter through said second grip. 
     The grips comprise an outer plate cover and a plate and the outer plate cover is made of one or more of the materials of polyurethane, polymide, nylon and glass fiber, and the knifes and plate are made of aluminum, and the shims, barrel nuts and screws are stainless steel. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fishing line tool comprising a knife in between a first grip and a second grip, said knife including a channel therein. The fishing line tool additionally comprises two pairs of screws, said screws securing said grips to said knife. The grips comprise an outer plate cover and a plate and the outer plate cover is made of one or more of the components of polyurethane, polymide, nylon and glass fiber, and the knife and plate are made of aluminum, and the screws are made of brass or stainless steel. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a use for a fishing line tool with two channels to remove water fleas from a section of fishing line containing said fleas, comprising the steps of: 
     a. forming a loop of said section of fishing line containing fleas;
 
b. sliding said loop into a channel formed between said first knife and second knife; and
 
c. pulling said loop down and out of said channel.
 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a use for a fishing line tool with one channel to remove water fleas from a section of fishing line containing said fleas, comprising the steps of: 
     a. forming a loop of said section of fishing line containing fleas;
 
b. sliding said loop into the channel in said knife; and
 
c. pulling said loop down and out of said channel.
 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings which illustrate by way of example only two preferred embodiments of the invention: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fishing line tool according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the fishing line tool shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a fishing line tool according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the fishing line tool shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is perspective view of one segment of the fishing line tool shown in the first and second embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention and fishing line with a mat of fleas on it; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention engaged with the fishing line with a mat of fleas on it; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention with the fleas remaining on it and the fishing line cleared of the fleas. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a fishing line tool according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  10  with a first channel  12  and a second channel  14 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the fishing line tool according to the first embodiment of the invention is shown in an exploded view in order to see the components of a first grip  140 , a second grip  145 , in between which there are a first knife  110 , a first shim  130 , a second knife  90 , a second shim  120 , a third knife  100 . Holes (not numbered) corresponding to the holes  80  in the grips  140  and  145  are found in all the components of the first knife  110 , first shim  130 , second knife  90 , second shim  120  and third knife  100 , such that when screws  70  are threaded into the holes  80  in grip  140  and barrel nuts  50  are pushed into holes  80  in grip  145 , the components are secured in alignment together. 
     The thickness of the shims  130  and  120  shown in  FIG. 2  determine the size of the channels  12  and  14  shown in  FIG. 1 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first shim  130  is thicker than the second shim  120 , which results in a larger channel  12  than 14. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a fishing line tool according to a second embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the fishing line tool according to the second embodiment of the invention is shown in exploded view in order to see the components of a first grip  140 , a second grip  145 , in between which there is a knife  180 . The grips  140  and  145  are attached to knife  180  by screws  150  which are screwed into openings  80  in grips  140  and  145 , and the screws  150  when fully secured are fastened into either side of knife  180  in corresponding recesses  185 . The knife  180  has a channel  150  etched into it. The channel may be carved out of a metal knife  180  by using wire electric discharge machining (“EDM”) technology, with the size of the channel  150  determined by the setting. 
       FIG. 5  shows that the grips  140  and  145  in  FIGS. 1 through 4  are comprised of two components, a plate cover  190  and a plate  200 . The plate cover  190  may be notched to give better grip and coloured for ornamental purposes. The grips  140  and  145  with the components in between them serve to form the handle of the fishing line tool  10  and  20 . 
     In the figures, the second knife  90  and knife  180  are shown extended to provide a hole  95  which makes it easier to access or store the fishing line tool, for example, the hole  95  may be used to enable the fishing line tool to be hung up or put on a keychain or a lanyard to fasten to, for example, a wrist for ease of accessibility during periods of repeated use0 
     In the first and second embodiments of the invention shown in the figures the components may be made of the following materials: the knifes  180 ,  110 ,  90  and  100  and plate  200  of aluminum; the plate cover  190  of polyurethane or injected-molded polymide-nylon with 15% glass fiber reinforcement; the shims  130  and  120  and barrel nuts  50  of stainless steel; the screws  70  and  150  of stainless steel or brass. 
       FIGS. 6 through 8  demonstrate the use of the fishing line tool of the present invention and in this demonstration the first embodiment of the fishing line tool  10  is shown. Referring to  FIG. 6 , fishing line tool  10  is shown alongside a portion of fishing line  30  with a mat of fleas  40 . In  FIG. 7 , a loop of fishing line  30  has been inserted sideways into channel  12  such that the mat of fleas  40  is above the fishing line tool  10 . In  FIG. 8 , the fishing line  30  has been pulled down out of the fishing line tool  10  and emerged free of the mat of fleas  40  which was scraped off and left on the fishing line tool  10 . The fishing line tool  10  can be shaken out on the outside of the boat, or in the water or wiped off to avoid messing up a boat with flea debris. 
     The fishing line tool  20  is used in the same manner wherein a loop of fishing line with a mat of water fleas would be slid into channel  150  and pulled down through the channel  150  to scrape off the mat of fleas. 
     The size of the channels  12  and  14  in the first embodiment and channel  150  in the second embodiment is chosen for the size of fishing line that will pass through the channel in order to most effectively clear a mat of fleas off of the line. The channel is slightly wider than the fishing line with which it will be used, which allows a section of fishing line to pass tightly but readily through the channel. For example, in the fishing line tool  10  the first shim could be 0.02 inches thick, the second shim  120  could be 0.015 inches thick and the knifes  110 ,  90  and  100  could all be 3/16ths of an inch thick, forming channel  12  for use with fishing line of 0.35 mm diameter and channel  14  for fishing line of 0.45 mm diameter. 
     After repeated used of the fishing line tool of this invention, fishing line may weaken and it may be desirous to cut out the portion of the line that has been weakened from the remaining line. 
     Various embodiments of the present invention having been thus described in detail by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. The invention includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.