Patent Publication Number: US-2020296943-A1

Title: Net grip

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/919,565, filed Mar. 18, 2019, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to fishing nets used by hook and line fishermen to land a fish. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When trolling or drifting the net of a prior art fishing net will swing out from the net hoop and has a good chance of snagging a hook of the lure used to catch a fish, thereby inhibiting the passage of the net under the fish to land the fish. It would be a significant advance in the art of netting a fish if a system were discovered that solved this and other problems in the use of a fishing net. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a fishing net assembly includes a pole, a net mounted with respect to the pole, and a magnetic clasp that is configured to releasably retain part of the net with respect to the pole. The magnetic clasp system may include a handle grip attached to the pole or handle of the fishing net and a corresponding net clamp attached to the fishing net. The handle grip and the net clamp comprising magnetic elements so that the net clamp is releasably attracted to the handle grip by magnetic attraction. The magnetic elements may comprise a pair of magnets having opposite north/south polarity or a magnet and an object containing iron. 
     The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present disclosure are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the disclosure when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, perspective view of a net grip system wherein the net of a pole mounted fishing net is retained by a magnet clasp system comprising a handle grip and a net clamp; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic, perspective view of the net grip system shown in  FIG. 1  wherein the net clamp is attached to the handle grip by magnetic attraction; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic, perspective view of the net grip system shown in  FIG. 2  with the net clamp pulled from the handle grip by a force sufficient to overcome the magnetic attraction between the net clamp and the handle grip; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic, perspective, exploded view of the net clamp; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic, perspective, exploded view of the handle grip; and 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic, front view of the handle grip. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , therein is shown a fishing net system  10  including a fishing net assembly having a pole  11 , a hoop  12  connected to one end of the pole, and a net  13 . The net  13  is attached to the hoop  12  as understood by those skilled in the art. A magnet clasp system includes a handle grip  14  and a net clamp  15 . The bottom of net  13  is attached to net clamp  15 . Net clamp  15  and handle grip  14  are attracted to each other by a magnetic elements positioned in handle grip  14  and net clamp  15 . The term “magnetic elements” refers to, for example and without limitation thereto, a magnet paired with iron or a pair of magnets having opposite north/south orientations so that net clamp  15  is attracted to handle grip  14  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 3 , wherein like reference numbers refer to like components from  FIGS. 1 and 2 , schematically depicts net clamp  15  pulled from handle grip  14  by a force sufficient to overcome the magnetic attraction between net clamp  15  and handle grip  14 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , wherein like reference numbers refer to like components from  FIGS. 1-3 , therein is shown an exploded view of some of the parts of net clamp  15 . Net clamp  15  is comprised of net clamp top  15   a , net clamp magnet cover  15   b , and net clamp magnet holder  15   c . Cavity  15   d  formed in the magnet holder  15   c  is provided to receive a rare earth coin shaped magnet  15   e . The top  15   a  is affixed to the magnet holder  15   c , such as by threaded fasteners (not shown) extending through holes formed in the top  15   a  and the holder  15   c , thereby enclosing the cavity  15   d  and retaining the magnet  15   e  and cover  15   b  therein. The net  13  is attached to the clamp  15  by placing part of the net  13  between the clamp top  15   a  and the magnet holder  15   c ; the clamping action of the threaded fasteners will retain the net  13  between the clamp top  15   a  and the magnet holder  15   c , as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , wherein like reference numbers refer to like components from  FIGS. 1-4 , handle grip  14  is comprised of net handle clamp  14   a , net handle magnet cover  14   b  and net handle magnet holder  14   c . Cavity  14   d  is provided to receive a rare earth coin shaped magnet  14   e  having a north/south orientation opposite that of the magnet  15   e  in cavity  15   d  so that net clamp  15  is attracted to handle grip  14  by magnetic force. Threaded fasteners extend through holes formed in handle clamp  14   a  to connect the handle clamp  14   a  to the magnet holder  14   c . Magnet holder  14   c  includes two protruding arms  14   f  When the clamp  14   a  is connected to the holder  14   c , the arms  14   f , the clamp  14   a , and the portion of the magnet holder  14   c  defining cavity  14   d  define a passageway  20  through which the pole  11  extends, thereby securing the handle grip  14 , along with magnet  14   e , to the pole  11 . 
     In use, the net clamp  15 , with a portion of the net  13  attached thereto, is connected to the handle grip  14  by the attraction between the magnetic elements  14   e ,  15   e . More specifically, in the embodiment depicted, the magnetic attraction between the magnetic elements  14   e ,  15   e  keeps the magnet holder  15   c  in contact with the other magnet holder  14   c . thereby retaining the net  13  in the position shown in  FIG. 1 . When used by a hook and line fisherman to retrieve a fish from the water, the net  13  is passed through the water toward the fish to capture the fish in the net  13  and to cause the net clamp  15  to release from the handle grip  14  by the weight of the fish in the net  13 . Without the net grip system of the instant invention, when trolling or drifting the net  13  will swing out from the net hoop  12  and has a good chance of snagging a hook of the lure used to catch a fish thereby inhibiting the passage of the net  13  under the fish to land the fish. If the fish is small or less than legal size, the magnetic elements of the instant invention will not release from the handle grip but can be shaken or bumped to release whereupon the fish will drop into the net. 
     The components of the instant invention can be made of any suitable material. However, the components shown in  FIGS. 4-6  are preferably made of a plastic material and can be injection molded from a thermoplastic resin. It should also be noted that the various components that form the clamp  15  may be integrally formed and combined within the scope of the claimed invention. For example, the magnet  15   e  may be molded into the magnet holder  15   c , thereby eliminating the need for cover  15   b . Similarly, the various components that form the handle grip  14  may be integrally formed and combined within the scope of the claimed invention. The clamp  15  may use other techniques for attachment to the net  13  within the scope of the claimed invention. 
     While the best modes for carrying out the disclosure have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this disclosure relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the disclosure within the scope of the appended claims.