Patent Publication Number: US-11375704-B2

Title: Bait container assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to container assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new container assembly for sifting worms from dirt. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to container assemblies for fishing bait, and in particular worms. Prior art container assemblies may comprise containers for minnows having strainers, containers having a spiked axle or rotating screw positioned therethrough for lifting worms to a surface of dirt positioned in the containers, and containers accessible from opposing faces. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tube, which defines an interior space and which has opposed ends that are open. Each of a pair of lids is hingedly engaged to a respective opposed end of the tube. The lid is selectively engageable to the tube to close the respective opposed end. A grate engaged to the tube defines a pair of compartments within the interior space. The grate is configured to sift worms from dirt positioned in one of the compartments upon inversion of the tube. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric perspective view of a bait container assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a first side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a second side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new container assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the bait container assembly  10  generally comprises a tube  12 , which defines an interior space  14  and which has opposed ends  16  that are open. The tube  12  may be cylindrical, as shown in  FIGS. 1-7 , although the present invention anticipated the tube  12  being alternately shaped, such as, but not limited to, rectangularly box shaped, ovally shaped (when viewed from a respective opposed end  16  of the tube  12 ), and the like. 
     Each of a pair of lids  18  is hingedly engaged to a respective opposed end  16  of the tube  12 . The lid  18  is selectively engageable to the tube  12  to close the respective opposed end  16 . Each lid  18  has a first fastener  20  engaged thereto. The first fastener  20  is complementary to a second fastener  22 , which is engaged to the tube  12 . The first fastener  20  is positioned to selectively engage the second fastener  22  to removably secure the lid  18  to the tube  12  to close an associated opposed end  16  thereof. The first fastener  20  and the second fastener  22  may comprise a latch  24 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , or other fastening means, such as, but not limited to, clasps, screw tops, and the like. The latch  24  may be spring loaded. 
     A grate  26  engaged to the tube  12  defines a pair of compartments  28  within the interior space  14 . The grate  26  is configured to sift worms from dirt positioned in one of the compartments  28  upon inversion of the tube  12 . 
     The grate  26  is selectively engageable to the tube  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , so that the grate  26  is selectively removable therefrom. The grate  26  is one of a set of grates  26 . Each grate  26  of the set of grates  26  has a respective mesh size  30  so that the set of grates  26  comprises grates  26  having a variety of mesh sizes  30 . A respective grate  26  is selectively engageable to the tube  12  to sift worms of an associated size. Having grates  26  of a variety of mesh sizes  30  allows the user to select a grate  26  having a mesh size  30  appropriate for the worms that are positioned in the tube  12 . 
     The set of grates  26  comprises a first grate  32 , which has a mesh size  30  of 1.27 centimeters, and a second grate  34 , which has a mesh size  30  of 0.64 centimeters. The first grate  32  is configured to retain large worms thereupon and the second grate  34  is configured to retain large and small worms thereupon. 
     A ridge  36  is engaged to the tube  12  and positioned in the interior space  14 . The ridge  36  is positioned to engage the grate  26  as the grate  26  is inserted into the tube  12 . The ridge  36  is positioned substantially equally distant from the opposed ends  16  of the tube  12  so that the compartments  28  are substantially volumetrically equivalent. The compartments  28  being substantially volumetrically equivalent permits a user to repeatedly invert the tube  12  to obtain a worm, as upon each inversion, the dirt passes from one compartment  28  to the other, with the worms being retained upon the grate  26 . The worms traverse the grate  26  slowly and reenter the dirt. 
     A handle  38  is engaged to the tube  12  and is positioned perpendicularly to the opposed ends  16 . The handle  38  is configured to be grasped in a hand of a user, positioning the user to invert the tube  12 . The handle  38  comprises a pair of D-rings  40  and a bar  42 . Each D-ring  40  is hingedly engaged to the bar  42  proximate to a respective opposed limit  44  thereof. The handle  38  is selectively positionable in a deployed configuration, wherein the bar  42  is distal from the tube  12 , and a stowed configuration, wherein the bar  42  is positioned in substantial abutment with the tube  12 . 
     A pair of strap rings  46  is engaged to the tube  12  proximate to a respective opposed end  16 . Each strap ring  46  is configured to selectively engage a coupler  48  engaged to a respective opposing end  50  of a strap  52  to engage the strap  52  to the tube  12 . The strap  52  can be positioned over a shoulder of the user to carry the tube  12  and contents thereof. 
     In use, the worms and dirt are positioned in one of the compartments  28  and a respective grate  26  is inserted so that it engages the ridge  36 . When a worm is required, the user grasps the handle  38  and inverts the tube  12 . The dirt passes through the grate  26 , which retains the worms thereupon. The user opens a respective lid  18  to access a worm. The worms migrate through the grate  26  to reenter the dirt, positioning the user to again invert the tube  12  to obtain another worm, as required. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.