Patent Abstract:
A floating fishing lure having the capability to adjust the buoyancy of the fish lure with a high degree of precision, such that the fish lure has fore and aft chamber sections connected and held together by an attaching means. Disposed on each fore and aft chamber sections are a plurality of buoyancy windows, one set of which will coincidentally overlie the other set of buoyancy windows as the fore chamber section is rotationally moved in regard to the aft chamber section. By changing the rotational placement of the two sections, valve aperture openings are produced that regulate the air to water ratio within the fish lure, thereby controlling its buoyancy. Additional fish attractors, hooks and illuminators can be added to the fishing lure.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure having remote and manual buoyancy adjustments to vary the buoyancy of the fish lure, thereby controlling the water depth the fish lure will attain. The fish lure of the present invention comprises a fore and aft chamber held together by an attaching means and the buoyancy of the fish lure is adjusted by the relative rotation between the fore and aft chambers. The present invention is not limited to a fishing lure, but can also be used to control and maintain the depth of live bait and other lures. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Fishing floatation devices have been used for centuries, utilizing cork objects and wood attached to fishing line to serve as bobbers. Such types of bobbers reside on the water surface and are desirable for preventing the hook from becoming caught or snared on the bottom of the body of water. Although conventional bobbers prevent the hooks from catching on rocks or trees located under the surface of the water, their cumbersome size and color is often undesirable to fish. Additionally, since bait typically extends directly beneath the bobber, the hook setting capability is extremely undesirable, in that when a fisherman sets the hook by lifting his/her rod, the bobber moves first before the hook is set. This premature movement of the bobber prior to setting the hook can scare fish away from the hook. 
   Additionally, fishing sinkers have also been used for many years and are advantageous for casting long distances and preventing the current of moving water from displacing fishing bait from a desired location. Although fishing sinkers have some desirable features, sinkers typically pull the fishing bait or lure to the bottom of the body of water, often causing either or both the sinker and hook to snare or catch against rocks, submerged vegetation, or other various obstacles, which is undesirable. 
   Other conventional fishing devices have a predetermined buoyancy, but are typically undesirable to fisherman, since the fisherman must keep a large number of these devices in the tackle box due to uncertainty of the needed buoyancy. Also conventional fishing devices for controlling the depth and floatation of live bait or lures have been developed to have buoyancy adjustments to control the depth of the bait or lure in the water, but are often cumbersome, require a large number of complex and cumbersome components, are expensive to manufacture, and their respective appearances repel fish. 
   Thus, there is a need to provide a fishing device which prevents the hook of the bait or lure from catching on rocks or submerged vegetation on the bottom of bodies of water, is of a discrete size, has a desirable natural appearance for fish, is multi-functional in that it can float on top of the water, sink to the bottom and achieve any depth between the bottom and surface of the body of water, with an easily adjustable buoyancy which can be adjusted remotely, is inexpensive to manufacture, and attracts fish. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a fish lure having buoyancy adjustments and comprising fore and aft chambers connected to one another by an attaching means within the body of the fish lure. The fore and aft chambers are rotatable about a central axis and the attaching means is disposed on that central axis through the body of the fish lure. The relative rotation of the fore and aft chambers will vary the buoyancy of the fish lure. The fore chamber includes a first set of a plurality of buoyancy windows and the aft chamber includes a second set of a plurality of buoyancy windows, such that the first and second set of buoyancy windows are relatively adjustable with respect to one another to create a set of a plurality of valve apertures controlling the air to water ratio within the body of the fish lure. 
   Additionally, the fish lure of the present invention has buoyancy adjustments comprising fore and aft chambers connected to one another by an attaching means, wherein the fore and aft chambers as well as the attaching means are coaxial with each other about a central axis and a first set of a plurality of buoyancy windows are disposed on and around the circumference of a first end of the aft chamber and a second set of a plurality of buoyancy windows are disposed on and around the circumference of a second end of the fore chamber, wherein the first and second set of buoyancy windows are relatively adjustable to one another to create a set of a plurality of valve apertures controlling the air to water ratio within the fish lure. Additionally, the fore chamber comprises a first annular serrated locking means having a first set of a plurality of angled teeth and the aft chamber comprises a second annular serrated locking means having a second set of a plurality of angled teeth, wherein the first and second sets of annular teeth engage each other to lock the fore and aft chambers in a preferred respective position. 
   In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the attaching means connecting and holding together the fore and aft chambers is a hollow elastic tube having first and second ends, wherein the fore and aft chambers are held together by rotating the elastic tube about the central axis. Since the hollow elastic tube is disposed on and extends along the central axis, a fishing line continuously extends through the hollow elastic tube on and along the central axis through the body of the fish lure. Both the fore and aft chambers of the fish lure are made of a transparent and colorless plastic. 
   In a second embodiment of the present invention the attaching means includes a threaded end cap and a hollow rod having first and second ends, the first end has a threaded protrusion and the second end includes an annular flange unit and threaded end cap which rotatably engages the threaded protrusion to connect the fore and aft chambers together. To attract nearby fish, an illumination means can be inserted into the hollow rod. Similar to the fish lure of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fore and aft chambers are made of transparent and colorless plastic as well as the threaded end cap and hollow rod to produce a covert natural appearance to fish. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings, forms that are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded side view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention prior to engagement with the fishing line and with the buoyancy windows fully open. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention with the fishing line engaged and the buoyancy windows partially closed. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention with the fishing line engaged and noisemaking means housed within the body of the lure. 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention with the fishing line engaged and scent disbursing means housed within the body of the lure. 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention with the fishing line engaged and reflective attraction means housed within the body of the lure. 
       FIG. 7A  is a side view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention with the fishing line engaged, reflective attraction means housed with the body of the lure, a further attraction means attached at one end of the lure and a hook attached along the outer surface of the lure. 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the line attachment means of a second embodiment of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention having an illumination means housed therein. 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the second embodiment of the adjustable buoyancy floating fishing lure of the present invention prior to engagement with the fishing line, with the illumination means housed within the lure and with the buoyancy windows open. 
       FIG. 9A  is a side view of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention prior to engagement with the fishing line, with the illumination means housed within the lure, with the buoyancy windows open, and a hook attached along the outer surface of the lure. 
       FIG. 10  is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The following detailed descriptions are for the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the present invention. These descriptions are not intended in any limiting sense, but rather are made solely for the purposes of illustrating the general principles of the present invention. 
   Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure  10  having fore and aft chamber sections  20  and  30  embodying the principles of the present invention. Each chamber section  20 ,  30  is coaxially disposed around a central axis  15  extending entirely through the central portion or chamber  17  of the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure  10 . An elastic tubing  13 , such as a rubber surgical tube having a hollow interior bore connects the distal ends of the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  such that the elastic tubing  13  extends through the central chamber of body  17  of the fish lure. 
   The fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  are preferably made of a transparent and colorless plastic. The light weight of the plastic, and the absence of color, permits the fish lure of the present invention to display a covert natural appearance within the water. A first end  13   a  of the elastic tubing  13  is affixed to the fore chamber section  20  by a first rivet  12   a  which is inserted into an opening within the fore chamber section wall  22 . The first end  13   a  of the elastic tubing  13  is disposed around and between the rivet  12   a  and the fore chamber section wall  22  of the opening in the fore chamber section  20 . As such, when the rivet is fully inserted into the opening in the fore chamber section wall  22 , the rivet  12   a  presses the elastic tubing  13  against the fore chamber section wall  22  of the opening in the fore chamber section  20 , thereby securely holding the elastic tubing  13  in the desired position. Likewise, a second end  13   b  of the elastic tubing  13  is affixed to the aft chamber section  30  by a second rivet  12   b  which is inserted into an opening within the fore chamber section wall  32 . The second end  13   b  of the elastic tubing  13  is disposed around and between the rivet  12   b  and the aft chamber section wall  32  of the opening in the aft chamber section  30 . As such, when the rivet  12   b  is fully inserted into the opening in the aft chamber section wall  32 , the rivet  12   b  presses the elastic tubing  13  against the aft chamber section wall  32  of the opening in the aft chamber section  30 , thereby securely holding the elastic tubing  13  in the desired position. 
   Upon connecting the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  by way of the elastic tubing  13 , a fishing line  11  is threaded entirely through the hollow interior of the elastic tubing  13  and first and second rivets  12   a  and  12   b , respectively. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , first fishing line section  11   a  of the fishing line extends towards the fisherman or the fishing rod and reel assembly (not shown) and a second fishing line section  11   b  of the fishing line extends towards a hook or additional fishing lure. 
   Positioned around the circumference of the fore chamber section  20  of the present invention are buoyancy windows  21   a-d  preferably being circular in shape and extending entirely through the fore chamber section wall  22 . Each buoyancy window is positioned along the fore chamber section wall  22  at equally spaced distances so that each buoyancy window  21   a-d  is separated 90 degrees along the circumference from the next buoyancy window. Thus, buoyancy windows  21   a-d  are equidistantly spaced about the fore chamber section wall  22  at angles of 90, 180, 270 and 360 degrees when measured about the central axis  15 . Similarly, buoyancy windows  31   a-d  of the aft chamber section  30  are equidistantly spaced about the aft chamber section wall  32  at angles of 90, 180, 270 and 360 degrees when measured about the central axis  15 . 
   A critical feature of the present invention is the corresponding relationship between the buoyancy windows  21   a-d  of the fore chamber section  20  and the buoyancy windows  31   a-d  of the aft chamber section  30  so as to adjust the buoyancy of, or air to water ratio within, the floating fishing lure  10 . The variable buoyancy of the present invention is achieved when a buoyancy window, such as  21   a  of the fore chamber section  20  overlies the buoyancy window  31   a  of the aft chamber section  30 . As depicted in  FIG. 3 , buoyancy window  21   a  and  31   a  completely coincide and overlie each other and, as such, both buoyancy windows are fully aligned to create aperture valves  16   a-d  having a maximum opening area. By setting the valve apertures  16   a-d  to have maximum opening areas, as depicted in  FIG. 3 , the floating fish lure  10  of the present invention will take on water through the valve apertures  16   a-d  filling the interior chamber  17  with water and causing the fish lure  10  to sink beneath the surface of the water. Since buoyancy windows  21   a-d  and  31   a-d  are equidistantly spaced about the central axis  15 , the size of the valve aperture, or opening area, created by one of buoyancy windows of the fore chamber section  20  coinciding with the opening of a buoyancy window of the aft chamber section  30  will be of equal size for the other three remaining valve apertures. 
   Alternatively, to increase the buoyancy of the fishing lure  10  of the present invention, the size or area of the aperture valves  16   a-d  must be reduced as clearly depicted in FIG.  4 . By reducing the size of the aperture valves, less water is accepted into the interior chamber  17  therefore allowing more air to remain within the interior chamber  17  so as to maintain a greater buoyancy. For instance, buoyancy window  21   a  of the fore chamber section  20  only partially overlies the buoyancy window  31   a  of the aft chamber section  30 , thereby creating a relatively small aperture valve  16   a  compared to the aperture valve as depicted in FIG.  3 . Although not shown in the drawings, to cause the fish lure  10  of the present invention to act as a bobber and always float on top of the surface of the water, the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  may be positioned relative to each other so that none of the buoyancy windows  21   a-d  and  31   a-d  overlie one another, resulting in the valve apertures being closed. With the valve apertures closed, water is incapable of entering the interior chamber  17  and the air within the interior chamber is incapable of escaping, thereby the fish lure  10  of the present invention will float on top of the surface of the water. 
   As described above, the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  of the present invention are held in overlapping contact by elastic tubing  13 . The tubing  13  of the present invention has multiple advantages in that due to the hollow interior of the elastic tubing  13  the fishing line  11  can be completely inserted from the first end  13   a  to the second end  13   b  of the elastic tubing  13  and, by turning the fore chamber section  20  with respect to the aft chamber section  30 , thereby twisting the elastic tubing  13 , the fishing line  11  is captured and held in place within the elastic tubing  13  fixedly positioning the fish lure  10  at a predetermined distance along the fishing line  11 . A more critical feature of the elastic tube  13  is the ability to produce a contracting force to pull the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  together by the twisting of the elastic tubing  13  about the central axis  15 . 
   Positioned on proximal end of the fore chamber section  20 , opposite the distal end where rivet  12   a  is located, is a first annular serrated locking means  25  disposed along the edge of and integrally formed as part of the fore chamber section wall  22 . The serrated locking means  25  extends outwardly away from the fore chamber section  20 . Similarly positioned on the proximal end of the aft chamber section wall  32 , opposite the distal end where rivet  12   b  and the buoyancy windows  31   a-d  are located, is a second annular serrated locking means  35  which also extends outwardly away from the aft chamber section  30 . Both first and second annular serrated locking means  25 ,  35  have the same diameter relative to the central axis  15  and each have a set of a plurality of teeth  25   a ,  35   a  which extend outwardly away from the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  at interlocking angles. 
   Together with elastic tubing  13 , the first and second annular serrated locking means  25 ,  35  enable a user to adjust the buoyancy of the fish lure  10  with a relatively high degree of precision. By increasing the number of teeth  25   a ,  35   a  extending around the first and second annular serrated locking means  25 ,  35 ; the precision of buoyancy can also be increased. Likewise, reducing the number of teeth of the annular serrated locking means reduces the adjustable precision of buoyancy adjustment. Although not shown in the drawings, indicia positioned around the circumference of the either the fore or aft chamber section  20 ,  30  can conceivably be incorporated thereon to indicate degrees of buoyancy, thereby enabling the user to easily adjust to a desired buoyancy. 
   The initial set up of the present invention begins with the insertion of the fishing line  11  into and through the elastic tubing  13 . Upon insertion of the fishing line  11  through the fish lure  10 , a user separates the fore chamber section  20  from the aft chamber section  30  by pulling each chamber in opposing directions along the central axis  15 . Once the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  are separated, the elastic tubing  13  is twisted about the central axis  15  by rotating one of the fore or aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  relative to the other. Although the elastic tubing  13  can be twisted in an arbitrary direction, the tube is preferably twisted in such a direction so that the teeth  25   a  of the first annular serrated locking means  25  rotatably engage recesses between the teeth  35   a  of the second annular serrated locking means  35 . Thus, the elastic tubing  13  securely holds the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  together by not only producing a contracting force caused by the twisting of elastic tubing  13 , which forces the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  together, but also produces a rotational force about the central axis  15  for engaging teeth  25   a ,  35   a  of the serrated locking means  25 ,  35  located respectively on the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30 . 
   An additional advantageous feature of the present invention is the method of manually, and remotely adjusting the buoyancy of the floating fish lure  10  of the present invention. Although the present invention is referred to as a floating fish lure  10 , it is not limited to such, since the present invention is a multi-functioning device, in that it facilitates the placement of other fishing lures and baits through its variable buoyancy. The floating fish lure  10  is able to function as a sinker, bobber or a buoyant facilitator to enable fishing lures and baits to attain any level of buoyancy equilibrium between the fish lure  10  and the ambient water, thereby producing a natural appearance and an adjustable level of depth in the water. 
   As described above, the method of manually adjusting the degree of buoyancy is controlled by adjusting the coincident overlying relationship between the buoyancy windows  21   a-d  and  31   a-d  to produce the desired opening size of the aperture valves  16   a-d , such that the larger the opening size of the aperture valves  16   a-d , the less buoyant the fish lure  10 . Conversely, the smaller the opening size of the aperture valves  16   a-d , the higher degree of buoyancy the fish lure  10  will attain. For instance, consider the case where the valve apertures  16   a-d  of the present invention are set to have a maximum opening. In this condition, upon casting the fish lure  10  into a body of water, the interior chamber  17  will fill with water causing the fish lure  10  to sink towards the bottom of the body of water due to the maximum sized valve apertures  16   a-d  permitting the intake of a greater amount of water over a shorter time. Alternatively, consider the case where the valve apertures  16   a-d  of the present invention are closed thereby prohibiting any amount of water passing through the valve apertures  16   a-d  and into the interior chamber  17 . In this condition, the fish lure  10  will act as a bobber floating on the surface of the water. Located between these extreme conditions of the size of valve apertures  16   a-d  either being fully open or completely closed, are a large number of degrees of buoyancy settings limited only by the number of teeth  25   a ,  35   a  of the first and second annular serrated locking means  25 ,  35 . The buoyancy of the fish lure  10  is determined by the air to water ratio within the interior chamber  17 , such that the larger the amount of air, the more buoyant the fish lure becomes and conversely, the larger the amount of water versus air within the interior chamber  17 , the less buoyant the fish lure becomes. With the large number of degrees of buoyancy, a fisherman can choose just about any desired level of buoyancy. 
   In the situation where the fisherman is aware that the fish are feeding near the bottom of the body of water, the fisherman would set the valve apertures  16   a-d  somewhere between maximum size and half-size. Continuing along the same manners of adjustments, through trial and error, the fisherman can attain the precise degree of desired buoyancy. 
   An additional advantageous feature of the present invention is the method of remotely adjusting the buoyancy of the fish lure  10  while the figure lure  10  is within the water. In the situation where the fisherman is aware of the presence of fish feeding in the area, but is unaware of the particular depth the fish are located, a fisherman is capable of gradually reducing the buoyancy of the fish lure by remotely jerking or jigging the lure, which forces water through the valve apertures  16   a-d  and into the interior chamber  17 . This causes the air retained in the chamber  17  to bubble out and water to come into the chamber, thereby causing the fish lure  10  to sink to a slightly lower depth. For instance, with the valve apertures  16   a-d  partially closed, the fish lure  10  is cast out into a body of water. Upon landing on the surface of the water, the fish lure  10  floats on top of the surface of water acting as a bobber. If the fisherman is unsuccessful in receiving any strikes from fish, the fisherman simply lightly jerks or jigs the fish lure  10 , thereby forcing a small amount of water through the valve apertures  16   a-d  displacing and forcing air out of the chamber  17 . The newly added amount of water entering through the valve apertures  16   a-d  and into the interior chamber  17 , increases the weight of the fish lure  10 , thereby reducing the buoyancy to a small degree and causing the fish lure  10  to sink to a slightly lower depth beneath the surface of the water. Additional slight jerks or jigs cause a tipping of the fish lure  10  permitting more water into the interior chamber  17 , causing the fish lure to sink to an even slightly deeper depth. This procedure is carried out until the fisherman approximates the appropriate depth at which the fish are feeding. By refraining from severe motions on the fish lure  10 , the lure will tend to retain its current buoyant state. 
   Alternatively, once the specific feeding depth is determined, the fisherman can retrieve the fish lure  10 , manually fill the interior chamber  17  with the appropriate amount of water to achieve the newly discovered degree of buoyancy for the fish lure. With the interior chamber  17  manually filled with water, the fisherman simply closes the valve apertures  16   a-d , thereby prohibiting the water from escaping out of the interior chamber  17  and again casts out into the body of water with the fish lure  10  set to the recently discovered degree of buoyancy. 
   To aid the fisherman in determining the amount of water to add to the interior chamber  17  of the fish lure  10 , a first set of indicia markings (not shown) representing degrees of buoyancy are disposed on the aft chamber section  30  and serve as fill lines for the fisherman. To achieve a particular degree of buoyancy, the fisherman simply adds water to the interior chamber  17  of the aft chamber section  30  until the desired degree of buoyancy is attained. Similarly, a second set of indicia markings (not shown) may be also placed on either the fore or aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  to indicate degrees of buoyancy when adjusting the size of the valve apertures  16   a-d . Both first and second sets of indicia markings may be used together to determine the appropriate buoyancy required for the fish lure  10  to reach the desired feeding depth. 
   As depicted in  FIGS. 5-7 , the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure  10  of the present invention can incorporate additional features to increase the desirability of the lure to fish. One such feature as illustrated in  FIG. 5  are noisemaking members  18   a  disposed within the interior chamber  17  of the fish lure  10 . These noisemaking member  18   a  are preferably made of plastic, but can conceivably be made of other various materials to aid in contributing to the production of potentially desirable noises, provided the noisemaking members  18   a  do not adversely affect the overall buoyancy of the fish lure  10 . To insert the noisemaking members  18   a  into the interior chamber  17  of the fish lure, fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  are separated and the noisemaking members  18   a  are inserted through the proximal opening  36  of the aft chamber section  30 . Upon movement of the fish lure  10  of the present invention, the noisemaking members contact both the fore and aft chamber section walls  22 ,  32  to produce rattling noises which will attract the attention of nearby fish. 
   Also used to attract the attention of fish are scent dispersing means  18   b  as shown in FIG.  6 . The scent dispersing means  18   b  may also be inserted into the interior chamber  17  of the fish lure  10 . A number of different types and materials of scent dispersing means  18   b  can be used within the fish lure  10  provided the scent dispersing means  18   b  do not adversely affect the intended functions of the fish lure  10 , such as its adjustable buoyancy. To insert the scent dispersing means  18   b  into the interior chamber  17  of the fish lure, fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  are separated and the scent dispersing means  18   b  may be inserted through the proximal opening  36  of the aft chamber section  30 . The scent from the scent dispersing means  18   b  emanating from within the interior chamber  17  of the fish lure  10  seeps out and through the aperture valves  16   a-d  and acts as a fish attractant for nearby fish. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , disposed within the interior chamber  17  of the fish lure  10  is a reflective attraction means  18   c  that acts to reflect light either in general, or predetermined patterns. A variety of different types of reflective attraction means  18   c  are conceivable, such as but not limited to, thin metallic film such as aluminum foil, stickers or paper mediums having reflective designs replicating fish scales disposed on a surface of the medium. To insert the reflective attraction means  18   c  into the interior chamber  17  of the fish lure, fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  are separated and the reflective attraction means  18   c  is inserted through the proximal aperture  36  of the aft chamber section  30 . Flashes of light caused by the slight movement of the fish lure  10  within the water attract the attention of nearby fish. 
   Additional features can further be incorporated onto the fish lure  10  of the present invention to attract nearby fish, such as a skirt  19  that produces additional motion proximate to the fish lure  10 . The skirt  19  is disposed around rivet  12   b  on the distal end of aft chamber section  30  and extending outwardly and away from the fish lure  10 . In order to take advantage of the situation where a fish may strike the fish lure  10  of the present invention, a hook assembly  14  is attached along the outer surface of the aft chamber section  30 . Eyelet  14   a  can be affixed to aft chamber section  30  through conventional plastic welding means, or more preferably is made integrally as a unit with the aft chamber section  30  to assure a secure attachment. A conventional hook  14   c  is connected to the eyelet  14   a  through a link unit  14   b  that is of sufficient strength to prohibit breakage under normal fishing conditions. Although the above additional fish attraction features are described separately, such features can be used separately or together, or in any conceivable combination, to attract fish, provided that such combination of features enables the fish lure  10  to carry out its intended function of adjustable buoyancy. 
     FIGS. 8-10  illustrate the adjustable buoyancy floating fish lure  100  of the second embodiment of the present invention, wherein a hollow attaching rod  140  is centrally disposed through fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  that is held in position by threaded end cap  150 . The fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130 , as well as the hollow attaching rod  140  and threaded end cap  150 , are all preferably made of a transparent and colorless plastic which, due to the light weight of plastic and the absence of color, permits the fish lure of the present invention to display a covert natural appearance beneath the surface of the water. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the hollow attaching rod  140  of the second embodiment of the present invention has first and second ends  140   a  and  140   b , respectively. Strategically positioned at the first end  140   a  of the hollow attaching rod  140  is a line attachment means  145 . Unlike the first embodiment of the present invention, fish lure  100  connects to the fishing line (not shown in  FIGS. 8-10 ) by way of a serrated gripping unit  145   b  of the line attachment means  145 . The fishing line is pressed against a resilient locking unit  145   a  that flexes inwardly toward the center of the hollow attaching rod  140 . Upon flexing, the displacement of the resilient locking unit  145   a  creates a small gap between itself and rigid lip  145   c , thereby enabling the fishing line to pass through the gap. After the fishing line passes through the gap, the resilient locking unit  145   a  returns to its initial position such that the resilient lock unit  145   a  abuts against the rigid lip  145   c  preventing the fishing line from escaping from the line attachment means  145 . The fishing line is then forced into the serrated gripping unit  145   b  of the attaching rod  140  so that the fishing lure  100  is securely held in position on the fishing line. 
   The hollow attaching rod  140  of the present invention has an interior bore  146  disposed within the hollow attaching rod  140  which is sized to house an illumination means  143 . The illumination means  143  can conceivably be any illumination source, provided the illumination source is capable of fitting within the interior bore  146  of the hollow attaching rod  140 , remains illuminated for a sufficient period of time, for example one to two hours, and also does not adversely affect the adjustable buoyancy of the fish lure  100 . Preferably, the illumination source may be single use, or reusable light sticks. Placing them in low temperature environments, i.e. freezers, for future use, can reactivate the reusable light sticks  143 . Located at the second end  140   b  of the hollow attaching rod  140  is an annular flange  144  that is preferably made integrally with the hollow attaching member  140 . Although not clearly illustrated in  FIGS. 8-10 , the annular flange  144  has a bore equal in diameter and coaxially aligned with the interior bore  146  of the hollow attaching rod  140 . Illumination means  143 , being slightly smaller in diameter than the interior bore  146  of the hollow attaching rod  140 , is pushed into the interior bore  146  to the desired depth, and snugly held within the interior bore  146  of the hollow attaching rod  140  by a frictional fit until removed. 
   The fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  of the second embodiment of the present invention are different than the fore and aft chamber sections  20 ,  30  of first embodiment of present invention. The fore chamber section  120  and the aft chamber section  130  have coaxially first and second apertures  126   a ,  126   b , and  136   a ,  136   b , respectively. Apertures  126   a ,  126   b ,  136   a  and  136   b  enable the hollow attaching rod  140  to initially pass through second then first apertures  136   b  and  136   a  on the aft chamber section  130  and extend towards and pass through the second then first apertures  126   b  and  126   a  of the fore chamber section  120 . Strategically positioned on the hollow attaching rod  140 , is a threaded portion  141  which protrudes through aperture  126   a  on the fore chamber section. When the hollow attaching rod  140  is fully inserted through apertures  126   a ,  126   b ,  136   a  and  136   b  of the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130 , about a central axis  115  of the fish lure  100 , the threaded portion  141  extends beyond the fore chamber section  120 . See  FIGS. 9 ,  10 . Threaded end cap  150  having a bore sized to accommodate the first end  140   a  of the hollow attaching rod  140  is placed over the line attachment means  145  and slid down the attaching rod  140  to engage the threaded portion  141 . By rotating the threaded end cap  150  downward, the threaded portion  141  of the hollow attaching rod  140  directly engages the threads within the bore of the threaded end cap  150 . This action exerts a force not only upon an annular rim  124  positioned on the first end  120   a  of the fore chamber section  120 , but also on the second end  130   b  of the aft chamber section  130 , by way of annular flange unit  144  of the hollow attaching rod  140 . As such, the rotation of the threaded end cap  150  forces both the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  into direct engagement within one another. 
   Similar to the first embodiment of the present invention, positioned around the fore chamber section  120  of the second embodiment of the present invention are buoyancy windows  121   a-d  preferably being circular in shape and extending entirely through the fore chamber section wall  122 . Each buoyancy window  121   a-d  is positioned along the fore chamber section wall  122  at equally spaced distances around the periphery such that each buoyancy window  121  is positioned 90 degrees apart from the next buoyancy window  121 . Thus, buoyancy windows  121   a-d  are equidistantly spaced about the fore chamber section wall  122  at angles of 90, 180, 270 and 360 degrees when measured about the central axis  115 . Similarly, buoyancy windows  131   a-d  of the aft chamber section  130  are equidistantly spaced about the aft chamber section wall  132  at angles of 90, 180, 270 and 360 degrees when measured about the central axis  115 . 
   A critical feature of the present invention is the coincident overlying relationship between the buoyancy windows  121   a-d  of the fore chamber section  120  and the buoyancy windows  131   a-d  of the aft chamber section  130  to adjust the buoyancy or weight of the floating fishing lure  100 . The variably buoyancy of the present invention is achieved when a buoyancy window, such as  121   a  of the fore chamber section  120  overlies the buoyancy chamber  131   a  of the aft chamber section  130 . Buoyancy windows  121   a  and  131   a  completely overlie and are coincident with each other and as such both buoyancy windows are aligned to create aperture valves  116   a-d  having a maximum opening area. By setting the valve apertures  116   a-d  to have maximum area openings as depicted  FIGS. 9 and 9   a , the floating fish lure  100  of the present invention takes on water through the valve apertures  116   a-d  filling the interior chamber  117  with water and causing the fish lure  100  to sink beneath the surface of the water. Since buoyancy windows  121   a-d  and  131   a-d  are equidistantly spaced about the periphery of the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130 , the size of the valve aperture opening created by one buoyancy window of the fore chamber section  120  partially or completely overlying a buoyancy window of the aft chamber section  130  will cause the opening to be of equal size for the other three remaining valve apertures. 
   Alternatively, to increase the buoyancy of the fishing lure  100  of the present invention, the size or area of the valve aperture openings  116   a-d  must be reduced as described above with respect to the first embodiment of the present invention as depicted in FIG.  4 . By reducing the size of the aperture valve openings, less water is accepted into the interior chamber  117 , therefore allowing more air to remain within the interior chamber  117 . For instance, in the situation where the buoyancy window  121   a  of the fore chamber section  120  only partially overlies the buoyancy window  131   a  of the aft chamber section  130 , a relatively small valve aperture opening  116   a  is created when compared to the aperture valve opening  116   a  as depicted in  FIGS. 9 and 9   a . Although not shown in the drawings, to cause the fish lure of the present invention to act as a bobber and always float on top of the surface of the water, the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  are positioned relative to each other so that neither buoyancy windows  121   a-d  and  131   a-d  overlie one another, thereby failing to create an valve aperture opening. Without a valve aperture opening in the present invention, water is incapable of entering the interior chamber  117  and the air within the interior chamber  117  is incapable of escaping, thereby causing the fish lure  10  of the present invention to float on top of the surface of the water. 
   As described above, the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  of the second embodiment of the present invention are held in proximal contact by the combined elements of the hollow attaching rod  140  and threaded end cap  150 . The second embodiment of the present invention has multiple advantages, in that the buoyancy of the fish lure  100  is easily adjusted by releasing the threaded end cap  150  and modifying the relative coincident overlie of the buoyancy windows  121 ,  131  of the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130 . Additionally, the threaded end cap  150  and threaded portion  141  of the hollow threaded rod  140  are capable of producing a strong contraction force to pull the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  together by tightening the threaded end cap  150  against the annular rim  124  of the fore chamber section  120 . 
   Positioned on the proximal end  120   b  of the fore chamber section  120  is a first annular serrated locking means  125  integrally formed as part of internal edge of the fore chamber section wall  122  and extending outwardly away from the fore chamber  120 . Similarly positioned on the exterior surface of the aft chamber section wall  132  between the proximal and distal ends  130   a ,  130   b  is a second annular serrated locking means  135  integrally formed as part of internal edge of the fore chamber section wall  132  and extending outwardly away from the aft chamber section  130 . Both first and second annular serrated locking means  125 ,  135  are equal in diameter and have a plurality of teeth  125   a ,  135   a  which outwardly extend away from the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  at interlocking angles. 
   Together with the threaded end cap  150  and hollow attaching rod  140 , the first and second annular serrated locking means  125 ,  135  enable a user to adjust the buoyancy of the fish lure  100  with a relatively high degree of precision. By increasing the number of teeth  125   a ,  135   a  for the first and second annular serrated locking means  125 ,  135 , the precision of buoyancy can also be increased. Likewise, reducing the number of teeth of the annular serrated locking means reduces the precision of buoyancy adjustment. Although not shown in the drawings, indicia positioned around the circumference of the either the fore or aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  can conceivably be incorporated to indicate degrees of buoyancy, thereby enabling the user to easily adjust the fishing lure  100  to a desired buoyancy. 
   The initial set up of the fishing lure  100  of the second embodiment of the present invention begins with the insertion of the illumination means  143  into the interior bore  146  of the hollow attaching rod  140  the desired distance so that the light means  143  is held snugly in place by a friction fit. Prior to inserting the hollow attaching rod  140  through the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  a buoyancy setting may be determined. By setting the coincident overlie of the buoyancy windows  121   a-d  and  131   a-d  to produce valve aperture openings  116   a-d  of the desired size, the preferred degree of buoyancy for the fishing lure  100  is attained. The fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  are temporarily held together by abutting the first and second annular serrated locking means  125 ,  135  so that the buoyancy windows  121   a-d  and  131   a-d  can be set to overlie each respective other by the desired amount. 
   Once the desired buoyancy setting is attained and the illumination means  143  is fully secured to the hollow attaching rod  140 , the first end  140   a  of the hollow attaching rod  140  is inserted entirely through the distal and proximal apertures  136   b  and  136   a  of the aft chamber section  130  and also inserted entirely through the distal and proximal apertures  126   b  and  126   a  of the fore chamber section  120 . After inserting the first end  140   a  of the hollow attaching rod  140  through both fore and aft chambers  120 ,  130 , threaded end cap  150  is placed over the first end  140   a  of the hollow attaching rod  140  so as to directly engage the threaded portion  141  of the hollow attaching rod  140 . Upon rotation of the threaded end cap  150  about the central axis  115 , the threaded end cap  150  is tightened against the annular rim  124  on the fore chamber section  120 . Further tightening of the threaded end cap  150  upon the threaded portion  141  causes the annular flange  144  to be drawn towards and abut against the distal end  130   b  of the aft chamber section  130 . Additional tightening of the threaded end cap  150  causes the annular flange  144  and the threaded end cap  150  to force together the first and second annular serrated locking means  125 ,  135  and tightly seal distal aperture  136   b  of the aft chamber section  130  and the proximal aperture  126   a  of the fore chamber section  120  to securely hold the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  together. 
   The tightening of the threaded end cap  150  draws both the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  together, thereby causing the plurality of teeth  125   a  of the first annular serrated locking means  125  to directly engage recesses between the plurality of teeth  135   a  of the second annular serrated locking means  135 . The combination of the threaded end cap  150  and the hollow attaching rod  140  securely hold the fore and aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  together not only by a contraction force caused by relative rotation about the central axis between the threaded end cap  150  and the hollow attaching rod  140 , but also by the interlocking relationship of the plurality of teeth  125   a  of the fore chamber section  120  directly engaging the recesses between the plurality of teeth  135   a  of the aft chamber section  130 . 
   Perhaps the most critical feature of the second embodiment of the present invention is the method of adjusting the buoyancy of the fishing lure  100  of the present invention, either manually or remotely. Although the present invention is referred to as a fish lure, it is not limited to such, since the present invention is a multi-functioning device, in that it facilitates the placement of other fishing lures and baits through its variable buoyancy. The fish lure  100  is able to function as a sinker, bobber or a buoyant facilitator to enable fishing lures and baits to attain any level of buoyancy equilibrium between the fishing lure  100  and the water, thereby producing a natural appearance. 
   As described above, the method of manually adjusting the degree of buoyancy is controlled by adjusting the coincident overlying relationship between the buoyancy windows  121   a-d  and  131   a-d  to produce a specific size of aperture valve openings  116   a-d , such that the larger the size of the aperture valve openings  116   a-d , the less buoyant the fishing lure  100  will be. Conversely, the smaller the size of the aperture valve openings  116   a-d , the higher degree of buoyancy the fish lure  100  will attain. For instance, consider the case where the aperture valve openings  116   a-d  of the present invention are set to have a maximum opening. In such a situation, upon casting the fish lure  100  into a body of water, the interior chamber  117  will shortly fill with water, causing the fish lure  100  to sink towards the bottom of the body of water due to the maximum sized aperture valve openings  116   a-d  permitting the intake of a relatively large amount of water. Alternatively, consider the case where the aperture valve openings  116   a-d  of the present invention are closed thereby prohibiting any amount of water passing through the valve apertures  16   a-d  and into the interior chamber  117 . In such a situation, the fish lure would act as a bobber floating on the surface of the water. Located between the extremes of the valve aperture openings  116   a-d , either being fully open or completely closed, are a large number of degrees of buoyancy settings only limited by the number of teeth  125   a ,  135   a  of the first and second annular serrated locking means  125 ,  135 . Within such a large number of degrees of buoyancy, a fisherman can choose almost any desired level of buoyancy. In the situation where the fisherman is aware that the fish are feeding near the bottom of the body of water, the fisherman can set the aperture valve openings  116   a-d  somewhere between maximum size and half-size. Continuing along the same manners of adjustments, the fisherman can attain the precise degree of desired buoyancy. 
   An additional advantageous feature of the present invention is the method of remotely adjusting the buoyancy of the fishing lure  100  while in the water. In the situation where the fisherman is aware of the presence of fish feeding in the area, but is unaware of the particular depth the fish are located, the fishing lure  100  is capable of gradually reducing the buoyancy of the lure by jerking or jigging the lure, thereby forcing water through the aperture valve openings  116   a-d  and into the interior chamber  117 , causing the fish lure  100  to sink to a lower depth. For instance, with the aperture valve openings  116   a-d  partially closed, the fish lure  100  is cast out into a body of water. Upon landing on the surface of the water, the fish lure  100  floats on top of the surface of water acting as a bobber. If the fisherman is unsuccessful in receiving any strikes from fish, the fisherman simply lightly jerks or jigs the fish lure  100 , thereby forcing a small amount of water through the valve aperture openings  116   a-d  and into the chamber  117 . The newly added amount of water entering through the valve apertures  116   a-d  and into the interior chamber  117 , increases the weight of the fish lure  100 , thereby reducing the buoyancy to a small degree and causing the fish lure  100  to sink to a slightly lower depth beneath the surface of the water. Additional slight jerks or jigs force more water into the interior chamber, causing the fish lure to sink to an even slightly deeper depth. This procedure is carried out until the fisherman determines the appropriate depth the fish are feeding at. Once the specific feeding depth is determined, the fisherman can retrieve the fish lure  100  and manually fill the interior chamber  117  with the appropriate amount of water to achieve the newly discovered degree of buoyancy for the fish lure. Once the interior chamber is manually filled, the fisherman simply closes the valve apertures  116   a-d , thereby prohibiting the interexchange of water and air from escaping from the interior chamber  117  and again casts out into the body of water with the fishing lure  100  set to the desired degree of buoyancy. 
   To aid the fisherman in determining the amount of water to add to the interior chamber  117  of the fishing lure  100 , a first set of indicia markings (not shown) representing degrees of buoyancy may be disposed on the aft chamber section  130  and serve as fill lines for the fisherman. To achieve a particular degree of buoyancy, the fisherman simply adds water to the interior chamber  117  of the aft chamber section  130  until the water level reaches the desired fill line thereby achieving the desired degree of buoyancy. Similarly, a second set of indicia markings (not shown) may be placed on either the fore or aft chamber sections  120 ,  130  indicating degrees of buoyancy when adjusting the size of the valve apertures  116   a-d . Both first and second sets of indicia markings can be used together to determine the appropriate buoyancy required to reach the desired feeding depth. 
   As described above with respect to the first embodiment of the present invention, fishing lure  100  of the second embodiment of the present invention can also incorporate such additional features to possibly increase the desirability of the lure to fish as shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , provided the incorporation of the above mentioned additional features do not adversely affect either the functionality of the fish lure  100  or the adjustability of the buoyancy. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 9   a , in the case where the fisherman wishes to take advantage of the situation where a fish may strike the fishing lure  100  of the present invention, a hook assembly  114  is attached on a surface of the aft chamber section  130 . Eyelet  114   a  can be affixed to aft chamber section  130  through conventional plastic welding or more preferably made integrally as a unit with the aft chamber section  130  to assure a secure attachment. A conventional hook  114   c  is connected to the eyelet  114   a  through a link  114   b  that is of sufficient strength to prohibit breakage under normal fishing conditions. Although the above additional fish attraction features are described separately, such features can be used together in any conceivable combination to attract fish. 
   The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as being illustrative and not restrictive, with the scope of the invention as well as all modifications which may fall within a range of equivalency which are also intended to be embraced therein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0