Patent Publication Number: US-6655072-B2

Title: Retractable fishing net

Description:
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/354,208, filed Jul. 15, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,302. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Applicant&#39;s invention relates to a retractable fishing net device; more specifically, a retractable fish net with a handle enclosed, pivotable drive shaft. 
     2. Background Information 
     Fishing is a popular sport. It usually requires the use of a net to help land the fish. However, nets are bulky items, typically having a long handle and head, this being necessary to reach fish from over the side of a boat or from a dock. Because fishing nets are long and cumbersome, they are sometimes left behind, often to the detriment of the fisherman attempting to land a fish. 
     Prior art fishing nets have addressed this problem in providing for a retractable fish net head. More specifically, prior art fish nets have provided fish net heads or net frames which are made out of multiple members hinged together and foldable into a hollow handle. 
     Applicant, however, provides a more efficient means than has heretofore been available of retracting and extending a fishing net having a collapsible head frame into and out of a hollow handle through the use of a unique elongated, handle-receiving drive shaft. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of Applicant&#39;s present invention to provide for a fishing net device that is easy to store and to transport. It is a further object of Applicant&#39;s present invention to provide for a retractable fishing net device that is simple to manufacture and use. It is yet another object of Applicant&#39;s present invention to provide for a fishing net device which is durable and functional. Finally, it is yet another object of Applicant&#39;s present invention to provide for a fishing net device with a collapsible net frame which is retractable into the handle, which device is easy to transport and store, simple to manufacture and use, and durable and functional. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Applicant achieves these objects by providing a fishing device to assist in landing a fish which device comprises a net frame having a multiplicity of hinged members. A net engages the net frame, which frame is retractable into a hollow handle. A drive shaft is used to drive the hinged members of the net frame into and out of the handle, which drive shaft is comprised of a linear member dimensioned to fit within the hollow handle. 
     Applicant provides alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention, namely, embodiments which provide electrical power to move the net frame from an extended use position to a retracted position within the hollow handle. Yet another alternate preferred embodiment of Applicant&#39;s present invention provides a hand crank to drive the net frame between the extended and retracted position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top elevational view of Applicant&#39;s present invention with the head frame loop in an extended position and the drive shaft within the handle tube. 
     FIG. 2 is a detailed view of one end of the drive shaft and the manner in which it connects to the frame of the head of the invention and, further, illustrating how the drive shaft/frame unit engages the stop block. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the handle head of Applicant&#39;s present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the removed end of the handle of Applicant&#39;s present invention illustrating the drive shaft and drive shaft locking means therein. 
     FIG. 5A is a side elevational view of the manner in which the frame members engage one another. 
     FIG. 5B is a top elevational view of the manner in which the hinged members are joined, one to the other. 
     FIG. 5C is a bottom elevational view of the manner in which the rings engage the net to the folding frame head. 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of Applicant&#39;s fishing device with the head frame loop in a retracted position and the drive shaft folded back against the handle tube. 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate elevational views of Applicant&#39;s slip joint. 
     FIG. 7 is an alternate preferred embodiment of Applicant&#39;s present invention feature a hand crank for retracting and extending the foldable members of the frame and the head. 
     FIG. 7 a  is an alternate preferred embodiment of Applicant&#39;s invention illustrated in FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 8 is yet another alternate preferred embodiment of Applicant&#39;s present invention which features an electric motor for electrically retracted and extending the net head frame from the handle tube. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to FIG. 1 it is seen that Applicant provides a retractable fishing net tool  10  which includes a hinged loop net head frame  12  (hinged loop) comprised of a multiplicity of rigid hingedly attached frame members  12 A which hinged loop has attached thereto a net  14  by means of a multiplicity of rings  15 , most of which rings slideably fit over the hinged loop. 
     FIG. 1 also illustrates the manner in which Applicant&#39;s fishing net tool  10  provides a hollow handle tube  16 , which may be made of metal, plastic, fiberglass, or other suitable material, and may be, in cross section, square, rectangular, round, or any other suitable shape. More specifically, it is noted that Applicant&#39;s handle  16  includes an outer surface  18  and a handle head  20 , the handle head at the end from which hinged loop  12  is retracted and extended in the operation of the device as set forth in more detail below. 
     Turning to FIGS. 1 through 5C it is seen that Applicant&#39;s handle  16  defines a substantially hollow interior into which a drive shaft  24  may reside, which drive shaft has a near end  24 A which near end includes hinge pins  26  for hingeably attaching the hinged loop to the drive shaft and, with reference to FIG. 4, the drive shaft is seen to have a far or removed end  24 B. The drive shaft is dimensioned to fit within the handle when the hinged loop is in an extended (use) position, as illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the manner in which, with the drive shaft urging hinged loop  12  into an extended or use position, a stop block  22  is provided to engage the handle head and to urge the two hinged members that are attached to the near end  24 A of the drive shaft into a spread or open position. Namely, it is seen that the stop block includes walls defining a “V” shape which “V” shape spreads the two hinged members  12 A adjacent the near edge of drive shaft into an open position. 
     Note that the side walls of handle head  20  are tapered. This is illustrated by dimension A in FIG.  2 . The distance A should be slightly longer than the longest hinged member for the hinged loop to properly retract within the handle. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the handle head  20  illustrating handle head front plate  28  with walls defining cut-outs  28 B and also illustrating side walls of handle head  28 C to provide an appreciation of the manner in which the handle head  20 , in conjunction with stop block  22 , will engage the first two members of the hinged loop when the drive shaft is urged against the stop block  22  and the hinged loop is in a fully extended or use position. More specifically, walls defining cut-outs  28 B help support and guide the hinged members of hinged loop  12 . 
     FIG. 1 also illustrates the manner in which the drive shaft, when in a fully extended position within handle  16 , may be locked in such a position using drive shaft locking means  34 . FIG. 1 also illustrates the manner in which drive shaft and plug  32  may be dimensioned to fit within handle  16  so as to position and maintain the drive shaft within the handle in the extended position illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     Further details of Applicant&#39;s drive shaft locking means, wherein the drive shaft is locked in a fully extended position (meaning the hinged loop is extended from the handle and the drive shaft is within the handle) may be appreciated with reference to FIG.  4 . More specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates that Applicant&#39;s drive shaft locking means includes pivoting member  35  having a pivoting end  35 A in which a pin engages the pivoting member with drive shaft end plug  32 . Drive shaft end plug is fixedly located in the removed end of the drive shaft and includes walls  32 A. Pivoting member  35  also has a removed end  35 B which is dimensioned with walls including a shoulder  35 C, which shoulder will extend through cut-outs  34 A and  34 A′ in both the removed end of handle  16  as well as in the removed end of the hollow drive shaft, so as to lock the drive shaft in the extended position within the handle. More specifically, it can be seen with reference to FIG. 4 that a spring  37  is designed to normally urge removed end  35 B in the position illustrated in FIG. 4 with shoulder  35 C through the cut-outs. However, it may be appreciated that if the shoulder illustrated in removed end  35 B, which is shown extending through the two cut-outs  34 A and  34 A′, is depressed, then the drive shaft may be retracted from within handle  16  of the handle by pulling end plug ring  36  to the left as illustrated in FIG.  4 . The retraction of the drive shaft from handle  16  will cause frame members  12 A to collapse and retract within outer cover  18  to the position illustrated in FIG.  6 . 
     More details of hinged loop net head frame  12  (hinged loop) may be appreciated with reference to FIGS. 5A through 5C. First, it is seen with reference to FIG. 5A, that individual hinged members may be engaged by hinges  120  between adjacent members  12 A which hinge  120  includes a pin  122  to engage a pair of extending arms  124  from one member to a tongue  126  of the adjacent member. Further, it can be seen with references to FIG. 5B that canted opposing end walls  128 A of adjacent hinged members, when cut at an angle, may define the shape of the ring (see also FIG.  1 ). More particularly, canted adjacent end walls of any pair of attached, articulating, adjacent hinged members  12 A will be located on the in board side of the plane head, with the hinge located on the outboard side thereof to allow the frame head to fold and retract within handle  18 . 
     Turning back to FIG. 1, details of the angles of canted end walls of adjacent hinged members may be appreciated. For example, working outward from the near end of the drive shaft, it is seen that the first pair of hinged members have canted end walls that are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent members and, therefore, the adjacent members are straight, defining b  180 ° angle. Other adjacent pairs have interim angles of less than 180° with member  12 A′ having an angle of about 120° with adjacent members. 
     FIG. 5C illustrates how net  14  is hung on rings  15 , most of which will slide over the retracting frame members as hinged loop  12  is being retracted within handle  16  by retraction of the drive shaft  24 . However, FIG. 5C also illustrates three fixed (non-sliding) rings  15 A (two) and  15 B (one). First, a pair of fixed rings  15 A are located on the hinged member  12 A′ which is opposite handle head  20  (when hinged loop  12  is in the extended position). These rings are non-slideably mounted to this particular hinged member to allow the net to be stretched out when the drive shaft is extended into handle and the net is being moved to an extended position. On the other hand, FIG. 5C also illustrates another fixed ring  15 B located on eyelet  28 A, which will keep the net from pulling too far forward as the net reaches its extended (use) position. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates Applicant&#39;s fishing device with drive shaft  24  retracted from handle  16  and folded over through the use of Applicant&#39;s unique slip joint  38  to lay longitudinal against the outer surface of the handle  16 . It can be seen in FIG. 6 that the drive shaft is retracted from the handle and the collapsible frame is stored within the handle. Slip joint  38  allows articulation between near end  24 A of the drive shaft (which remains in the removed end of the handle) and the remainder of the drive shaft. 
     Further, with reference to FIGS. 6,  6 A, and  6 B, it is seen that Applicant&#39;s slip joint  38  includes paired stubs  381 , typically metal, which are rectangular and inserted into the typically hollow drive shaft at the points indicated, as well as a slotted joinder rod  382  which connects the two portions of the drive shaft where it pivots. Pins  383  engage longitudinal slot  384  near the ends of the rod. It can been seen that pins  383  trend transversely from one stub  381  to the other with a pin in each of the joined portions of the drive shaft. This slotted rod  382  rides in gap  385  between the paired stubs  381  and allows the rotation of the drive shaft from a straight (see FIG. 1) to a turned position (see FIG.  6 ). 
     Thus, it is seen that Applicant&#39;s drive shaft may be pivoted to fold over onto the outside of the handle when the frame is retracted into the handle. This makes a nice compact unit, as may be appreciated with reference to FIG.  6 . Moreover, it can been seen with reference to FIG. 6 that by placing a pair of magnets  44 , one of the outer surface of the handle near the front, and the other on the removed end of the drive shaft, the drive shaft will stay in its folded position. 
     A second unique feature illustrated in FIG. 6 is the hook-and-eyelet combination  46  that is seen near the removed end of the handle. A hooked member  46 A is attached to the outer surface of the handle near the removed end thereof. At or near the apex of the net is an eyelet  46 B, typically metal, which combination allows the user to stretch the net as seen in FIG. 6, and hook the eyelet over the hooked member to provide a convenient package for transportation and storage, with the net stretched longitudinally adjacent the longitudinal axis of the both the drive shaft and the handle. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate preferred embodiment of Applicant&#39;s present invention featuring a handle mounted hand crank mechanism  50  on the end of the handle. The handle is hollow and the hand crank  50  includes a rotatable barrel  52  on which a handle  54  is mounted, which handle when moved causes the barrel to rotate. Attached to the barrel is an extend cable  56  and a retract cable  58 . When the drum is rotated in the first direction, retract cable  58  will wind up on the barrel and extend cable will unwind from the barrel. Extend cable  56  extends around a pulley  60  mounted near the front end of the hollow handle. The ends of both extend and retract cables are attached to slider  62  at  62 A and  62 B; the slider also has a detent button  64  on the surface thereof. It is seen that detent button  64  includes a leaf spring  64 A engaging the slider which leaf spring urges the detent button against the underside of the handle such that when the button encounters a cut-out, it will be urged through the cut-out and fix the location of the slider (in either the retracted or extended position). Detent button  64  can engage handle cut-outs, one at the near end and one at the far end of handle, which will allow the slider to be positioned in a retracted position (when near the far end of the handle or the left end of the handle as viewed in FIG. 7) or an extended position with the slider in the approximate position illustrated in FIG. 7, with the net extended from the handle. It is seen that slider  62  includes projecting end  62 C, which is dimensioned for receipt of the pivoting members of the linked loop thereon. 
     FIG. 7 a  illustrates an alternate preferred embodiment of that embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 with the addition of springs  63 A and  63 B where the cable or cables contact the slider. Note that, as with the embodiment as set forth in FIG. 7, there can be a single cable, wrapped around the spool or barrel with the two ends attached the slider or there can be two cables, each cable with one end attached to the spool or barrel and wrapped around the barrel such that the second end of both cables is attached to the slider. Either way there is an extend and retract motion such that when the barrel or spool is rotated in the first direction the slider  62  moves in a first direction and when handle moves in the opposite direction the slider will also move in the opposite direction. Note in FIG. 8 that the spool may, optionally, be battery powered. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates details of another alternate preferred embodiment which uses an electric motor  68  to drive a spur gear  70 , which gear in turn drives a second gear  72 , which is mounted to an axle  74 , which in turn is rigidly attached to the drum. The electric motor is reversible and so the drum may draw the slider as illustrated in FIG. 7 between a retracted and an extended position. It is further seen that the electric motor is attached to the handle  16  and may have attached thereto a light  76  which would help the fisherman see at night. The electric motor may be battery powered. (A hand held, rechargeable, electric screw driver made by Popular Mechanics® was used on the prototype.) 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.