Patent Publication Number: US-11388897-B2

Title: Deck mount fishing rod holder apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     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 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to fishing rod holder devices and more particularly pertains to a new fishing rod holder device for securing fishing rods without clamps. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to fishing rod holder devices. Existing devices typically require a clamp to mount to the seat or side of a boat. Known rod holders also do not allow the rod to pivot and hinge without being removed. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base having a base top side, a base bottom side, a mounting portion and a plurality of arm portions. Each arm portion lies coplanar with the mounting portion. The mounting portion has a plurality of mounting apertures extending from the base top side through the base bottom side of the mounting portion. Each mounting aperture is configured to receive an engagement portion of a seat post of a seat on a boat to secure the base to rest on a deck of the boat. A plurality of rod holders is coupled to the base. Each rod holder is pivotably coupled to the base top side on one of the arm portions. A holder bottom side of each rod holder is angled to rest flush on the base top side in a fish position. A cylindrical holder sidewall extends away from the base top side at an angle greater than 90°. The cylindrical holder sidewall is configured to receive a fishing rod through an open holder top side. Each rod holder is pivotable back towards the base top side to allow for hook setting without removing the fishing rod. 
     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 view of a deck mount fishing rod holder apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevation 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 fishing rod holder device 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 deck mount fishing rod holder apparatus  10  generally comprises a base  12  having a base top side  14 , a base bottom side  16 , a mounting portion  18  and a plurality of arm portions  20 . Each arm portion  20  lies coplanar with the mounting portion  18 . The mounting portion  18  has a plurality of mounting apertures  22  extending from the base top side  14  through the base bottom side  16  of the mounting portion. The plurality of mounting apertures  22  may be three mounting apertures  22  arranged in an array. Each mounting aperture  22  is configured to receive an engagement portion  24  of a seat post  26  of a seat  28  on a boat  30  to secure the base  12  to rest on a deck  32  of the boat. 
     The plurality of arm portions  20  comprises a left arm portion  34 , a medial arm portion  36 , and a right arm portion  38 . The medial arm portion  36  extends colinearly with the mounting portion  18 . Each of the left arm portion  34  and the right arm portion  38  may have an angled section  40  and a parallel section  42  as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The parallel section  42  extends parallel with the medial arm portion  36 . Each arm portion  20  may have a rounded distal end  44  with the distal end  44  of each of the left arm portion  34  and the right arm portion  38  extending past the distal end of the medial portion  36 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 5-7 , each of the left arm portion  34  and the right arm portion  38  may extend at an angle away from the medial arm portion  36  and a pair of pivot arms  46  may be coupled to the base  12 . The pair of pivot arms  46  comprises a left pivot arm  48  pivotably coupled to the left arm portion  34  adjacent the distal end  44  thereof and a right pivot arm  50  pivotably coupled to the right arm portion  38  adjacent the distal end  44  thereof. A pair of locking handles  52  may be coupled to the pair of pivot arms  46 . The pair of locking handles  52  is coupled to a pivot rod  54  of each pivot arm to selectively prevent and allow pivoting of the pivot arms  46 . Each pivot arm  46  may have an arm support  56  coupled to an arm underside  58  thereof. The thickness of the arm support  56  is equal to the thickness of the base  12  in order to stabilize the pivot arms  46  on the deck  32  of the boat. 
     A plurality of mounting ears  60  is coupled to either the base top side  14  of one of the arm portions  20  or to an arm top side  62  of one of the pivot arms  46 . A plurality of rod holders  64  is coupled to the plurality of mounting ears  60 . Each rod holder  64  may have a pivot ear  66  extending from a cylindrical holder sidewall  68  adjacent a holder bottom side  70 . The pivot ear  66  is pivotably coupled to one of the mounting ears  60 . The holder bottom side  70  of each rod holder may be angled to rest flush on the arm top side  62  of the pivot arm or the base top side  14  in a fish position with the holder sidewall  68  extending away from the arm top side  62  or the base top side  14  at an angle greater than 90°. The cylindrical holder sidewall  68  is configured to receive a fishing rod  72  through an open holder top side  74 . Each rod holder  64  is pivotable back towards the arm top side  62  or the base top side  14  to allow for hook setting without removing the fishing rod  72 . 
     In use, the engagement portion  24  of the seat post is placed through the mounting aperture  22  to position the plurality of rod holders  64  a desired distance away from the seat  28 . Fishing rods  72  are then placed within the plurality of rod holders  64  and left in the fish position until a bite is detected. The fishing rod  72  may then be pulled back to set the hook and pivot the fishing rod holder  64  back towards the arm top side  62  or the base top side  14 . The pair of locking handles  52  may be used to selectively reposition the pair of pivot arms  46  as needed. 
     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 element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.