Patent Publication Number: US-2021176974-A1

Title: Fish descending device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a non-provisional of, and claims priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/948,299, filed on Dec. 15, 2019 and titled “Descending Device for Fish Suffering from Barotrauma;” which application is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a fishing device and more specifically, to a device for returning a fish to a depth so the fish can recover from barotrauma. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Catching fish in deep water (50 feet or greater) and bringing the fish to the surface causes the gases in a fish&#39;s swim bladder to expand, causing the fish to become buoyant. If the fish is discarded it will float on the surface and be unable to return to depth, lowering the survival rate. Fishing can be prohibited in areas where protected fish stocks become unsustainable. If barotrauma descending devices are used the fish are returned to depth and allowed to recover and reproduce. This keeps fish stocks healthy and areas remain open to recreational fishing. 
     Descending devices consist of a number of configurations. The most common is the upside down hook with a weight attached. These can be cumbersome and dangerous to use since the fish and weight must be held in an awkward position when lowering the fish. When a boat has high gunnels the fish must be tossed into the water such that it lands in the correct position to descend to depth. If not done correctly, the fish falls off the hook and floats away and dies. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an easy to use descending hook that suspends both the weight and fish without fear of the fish releasing too soon. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     We disclose a descending device that allows one person to easily lower a weighted hook, with fish attached, through the air and into the water without fear of the fish falling off even in a boat with high freeboards. 
     A non-limiting embodiment of the invention is comprised of a single bent wire to which is attached a slide ring and a weight. The wire has a proximal end and a distal end. A hook, without a barb, is fashioned at the proximal end, bent back towards itself and pointing towards the distal end. An attachment point, such as a ring, is formed at the distal end. The weight is attached at the attachment point at the distal end. The slide ring is slidingly attached to the wire such that the wire passes through the ring and the ring is free to slide on the wire between the distal end and the proximal end—thus, substantially between the hook and the weight. 
     An object of the present invention is that the various components thereof are configured such that the device is attached to a line via the slide ring. The wire is free to slide within the slide ring. A fish to be returned to water at a proper depth, is placed on the hook (preferably through the flesh of the lower jaw), the weight of the fish ensures that the wire is pulled down on the slide ring, positioning the slide ring up proximate to the weight. After the fish is lowered back into the water, to be released, the fish, which is now more buoyant that the weight due to the expanding gases in the fish&#39;s swim bladder, is suspended above the weight and distal end of the wire and the slide ring has now slid up to the bend in the proximal end of the wire that forms the hook. In this orientation the hook now faces down and the fish is pulled down to a proper depth by the weight. Once the proper depth has been reached and the fish has re-compressed, the device can be pulled up and the hook released from the fish, which can now swim away safely. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying figures, like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views. The accompanying figures, together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification and serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a side view of a simplified representation of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-water state; 
         FIG. 3 . shows a front view of the device of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows another side view of the device shown in  FIG. 2 , with a fish hanging by its lower lip while it is in the above-water state; 
         FIG. 5  shows the device of  FIG. 2  in the reversed-orientation side view in the in-water state; 
         FIG. 6  shows the device of  FIG. 2  in the reversed-orientation front view in the in-water state; 
         FIG. 7  shows the device of  FIG. 2  in the reversed-orientation with the fish attached through its lower lip, being descended through the water. 
     
    
    
     While the invention as claimed can be modified into alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In this specification and in the appended claims and drawings, words and phrases have the meanings commonly attributed to them in the relevant art except as otherwise specified herein. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein. While certain aspects of conventional technologies and methods in the relevant art have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicant in no way disclaims these technical aspects or methods, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects or methods discussed herein. 
     Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein. Specifically, component names, types, and values, as depicted in the exemplary schematic diagrams, are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and are presented only as possible embodiments. 
     Referring now to the figures, we disclose a fish descending device according to exemplary, non-limiting, embodiments of the present invention.  FIG. 1  shows a simplified representation according to an embodiment. 
     The device  100  is comprised of a rigid member  110  having a proximal end  120  and a distal end  130 . A hook  140  is formed at the proximal end  120  such that the end of the hook points substantially back towards the distal end  130 . A weight  150  is attached to the distal end. A slide  160  is constrained in sliding relation on the rigid member  110  between the proximal end  120  and the distal end  130 . The hook  110  and weight  130  form physical stops on the rigid member  110  such that the slide  160  is not able to translate (slide) off of the device. The slide  160  is further configured with attachment geometry adapted to receive a line, cord, cable or other similar means of suspending  170  (shown for reference only in  FIG. 1 ) the device  100  and the slide  160  becomes the suspension point about which the device  100  can slide or pivot. 
     To use the device  100 , a user attaches a means of suspension  170  to the device  100  at the slide  160 . The means of suspension  170  is any known line, cord, or equivalent. The slide  160  is moved to a position substantially proximate to the weight  150 , causing the rigid member  110  to be disposed in an approximately vertical orientation with the hook  110  end pointed substantially upward. A fish that has been caught and is desired to be released back into the water is hooked onto the device  100  inserting the hook  110  through the fish&#39;s lower jaw. The weight of the fish on the device  100  maintains the device  100  in a substantially vertical position with the fish securely attached via the hook  110 . The device  100  is then lowered into the water by the means for suspension  170 . Once in the water, since the fish is more buoyant than the weight, the device changes in attitude—sliding and pivoting about the suspension point. As the weight lowers in the water, the relative position of the weight and the fish flips—while above water, the weight was above the fish, now, below water, the weight falls below the fish—and the slide  160  translates up the rigid body  100  towards the proximal end  120 , stopping at the hook  110 . With the hook  110  now pointing downward, the fish is pulled down by the device until it reaches the proper depth. Once at depth, the device is pulled up by the suspension device and the hook disengages from the fish. The fish is free to swim now without having suffered any barotrauma. The device  100  can then be pulled back up out of the water and used again. 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described as device  200 .  FIGS. 2-7  show this exemplary embodiment in different views, with  FIGS. 2-4  depicting the device  200  in the state as it would be above the water, in the lowering orientation.  FIGS. 5-7  depict the device  200  in the state that it would be in the water, in the descending orientation. 
     Specifically referring to  FIGS. 2-3 and 5-6 , device  200  is comprised of a rigid wire  210  that is bent to create fixed member  211 , hook member  212 , and weight member  213 . The rigid wire  210  is further bent to create a hook stop loop  214  between the fixed member  211  and the hook member  212 , and a weight stop loop  215  between the fixed member  211  and the weight member  212 . An attachment loop  216  is formed at the free end of the weight member  212 . 
     A weight  220  is attached to the rigid wire  210  at the attachment loop  216 . 
     A sliding member  230  is attached on the rigid wire  210  in sliding relation relative to the fixed member  211  between the hook stop loop  214  and the weight stop loop  215 . In this embodiment the sliding member  230  is a ring. 
     A suspension line  240  is attached to the sliding member  230 . 
     Above-Water Lowering Orientation 
       FIG. 4  shows the device with a fish attached and being lowered through the air. The fish is hanging by its lower lip on hook member  212 . Sliding member  230  is in the first point of suspension, with both the fish and weight below this first point of suspension. 
     In-Water Descending Orientation 
       FIG. 7  shows the device in its in-water descending position. The sliding member  230  has moved to a second point of suspension. In this orientation the fish is approximately at or above this second point of suspension and the weight  220  is below this second point of suspension. Upon entering the water, the buoyant fish lags the weight  220 , causing the sliding member  230  to move to the second point of suspension. This occurs when weight  220  acts upon weight member  212  creating a moment about weight stop loop  215 . The descending device  200  then turns upside down and the sliding member  230  moves to the water descending position and pulls the buoyant fish to a lower depth. 
     When the optimum depth is reached, the fisherman exerts an upward pull on suspension line  240 , pulling hook member  212  out of the fish&#39;s mouth and allowing the fish to swim away at a suitable depth with its swim bladder recompressed. 
     The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. In particular, features from one embodiment can be used with another embodiment. The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.