Abstract:
A storage container commonly referred to a “tackle box,” that detachably secures an elongate fishing lure, such as a tube fly or the like, within a chamber of a case using a mandrel for detachably engaging the lure and a mandrel anchor for detachably engaging the mandrel. In a disclosed embodiment, the mandrel anchor is formed of foam with slits received therein for receiving one or more mandrels. A distal end of each mandrel may include a clip for snugly engaging the lure to further hold the lure in place in the container.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a fishing tackle storage container. In particular, it relates to a storage container for securely storing and easily retrieving fishing tackle such as tube fly lures and the like. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Containers for storing fishing tackle are often referred to as “tackle boxes.” These containers usually contain a closable outer case that opens to reveal an interior chamber for storing fishing tackle, such as fishing lures and the like, therein. An exemplar tackle box can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,409 to Kneier, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. It features a hard-shelled case with a pivoting lid that opens to reveal the interior chamber. Inside the camber is a plurality of individual compartments sized to receive an individual fishing lure therein. 
         [0003]    Despite the benefits of this type of tackle box, it has several drawbacks. For example, lures stored in the individual chambers tend to move around as the tackle box is moved. This movement allows the lures to become tangled with other items in the compartment. Also, many lures have sharp hooks attached to them, and these hooks remain exposed while the lure is in the compartment. Accordingly, a person seeking to remove a lure from the compartment may inadvertently injure themselves on the lure&#39;s hook while attempting to retrieve it. 
         [0004]    Efforts have been made to safety store hooked lures to prevent injuries when attempting to retrieve them from a tackle box. These tackle boxes basically secure the hooks of the lure to the tackle box, rather than simply storing the entire lure in a compartment in the box. 
         [0005]    In general, these types of tackle boxes secure the hook or hooks of the lure in one of two ways. One way is by hanging the lure in the box by the hook or hooks. U.S. Pat. No. 1,749,227 to Pruett, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,492 to Katwyk et al, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, are examples of tackle boxes that hang a lure by its hooks for storage. The other way is to insert the hook of a lure into a slot formed in a resilient foam pad secured to a wall on the tackle box case. Published U.S. patent application publication number 2008/0289988, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, is an example of this type of fishing lure hook securing structure. 
         [0006]    Despite the improvements offered by these types of tackle boxes, they still have several drawbacks. For example, some fishing lures are elongate flexible structures that do not have any hooks on them. These types of lures are often called “tube flies.” They have an elongate tube with ornamental materials such as fringe and feathers attached thereto. During use, a fishing line is threaded through the tube of the tube fly and a hook is attached to the end of the line thereby “rigging” the lure for fishing. 
         [0007]    Tube flies tend to become knotted and tangled when stored in a compartment in conventional tackle boxes. Moreover, because they do not usually have a hook attached to them, they cannot be stored by their hooks in tackle boxes designed to hold lures by their hooks. 
         [0008]    Similarly, some lures containing hooks are formed of two articulated structures, each containing at least one hook. Known tackle boxes do not effectively hold these types of lures. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention overcomes these issues with conventional tackle boxes. 
         [0010]    In disclosed embodiments a storage container, commonly referred to a “tackle box,” is disclosed that detachably secures an elongate fishing lure, such as a tube fly or the like, within a chamber of a case using a mandrel for detachably engaging the lure and a mandrel anchor for detachably engaging the mandrel. In a disclosed embodiment, the mandrel anchor is formed of foam with slits received therein for receiving one or more mandrels. A distal end of each mandrel may include a clip for snugly engaging the lure to further hold the lure in place in the container. 
         [0011]    The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a tube fly operably received on an elongate mandrel with a holding clip formed on its distal end in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the mandrel of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the tube fly of  FIG. 1  showing interior detail of possible orientation relative to the mandrel. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a side view of an alternative style tube fly operably received on a mandrel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the tube fly of  FIG. 4  removed from the mandrel of  FIG. 4  and shown with a possible fishing line extending through the tube of the tube fly and rigged with a hook in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a fishing lure storage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing a possible open position of the container revealing a possible plurality of elongate mandrels of  FIGS. 1 &amp; 4  operably secured within the container. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged, top, fragmentary, isometric view of an alternative possible fishing lure storage container in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a plurality of mandrels, some of which containing tube flies thereon, operably secured therein. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a top, isometric view on an alternative possible fishing lure storage container in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    A fishing lure storage container  10  for storing fishing tackle such as fishing lures  12  and the like therein is disclosed in the attached figures. A first storage container  10  embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 6 .&amp;  7  and a second storage container  10 ′ embodiment is shown in  FIG. 8 . Both embodiments are discussed in greater detail below. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 &amp; 7 , the fishing lure storage container  10  preferably includes a case  14  that has an open position  16  shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  to reveal and make accessible an interior chamber  18  for receiving fishing lures  12  and the like therein and a closed position (not shown) wherein the chamber  18  is inaccessible. 
         [0022]    One possible case  14  structure includes a base portion  20  and a lid portion  22  pivotally secured to the base portion  20  at a hinge  24 . The lid portion  22  pivots about the hinge  24  to define the open position  16  when the lid portion  22  is pivoted away from the base portion  20  and the closed position where the lid portion  22  is pivoted to rest on top of the base portion  20 . 
         [0023]    A locking structure  30  may be provided to detachably lock the lid portion  22  to the base portion  20  when the case  14  is in the closed position. If desired, a seal (not shown) may be provided between the lid portion  22  and base portion  20  so as to make the case  14  water tight when the case  14  is in the closed position. 
         [0024]    The case&#39;s  14  structure may be formed with a variety of flexible and rigid materials such as plastic, fabric or the like. Preferably, the case structure is suitably rigid so as to allow resilient mandrel anchors  40  to be operably secured thereto. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a tube fly  42  detachably secured to a mandrel  44  is shown. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the mandrel  44  is preferably an elongate structure having a first end  46  that has a substantially straight portion  48  and an opposite second end  50  with a curved clip  52  formed thereon. The mandrel  44  is preferably formed of a strong, rust and water resistant material, such as steel or the like. 
         [0026]    As best shown in  FIG. 3 , a conventional tube fly  42  has an elongate hollow tube  60  with ornamental materials  62  such as fringe and other materials operably secured thereto. An alternative style of tube fly  42 ′ having an elongate hollow tube  60  therein is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
         [0027]    The first end  46  of the mandrel  44  is inserted into the tube  60  of the tube fly  42  and the mandrel  44  is slid through the tube  60  until the curved clip  52  operably engages and holds one end of the tube fly&#39;s tube  60  as best shown in  FIG. 3 . The curved clip  52  is sized so as to tightly engage the wan of the tube  60  of the tube fly  42 , thereby preventing the tube fly  42  from sliding up and down when secured on the mandrel  44 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 &amp; 5 , a user can rig a tube fly  42 ′ by removing it from the mandrel  44  ( FIG. 4 ) and threading a fishing line  53  ( FIG. 5 ) through the tube  60  of the tube fly  42 ′. A hook  102  is then secured to the end of the fishing line  53  and the fishing line  53  is pulled so that the hook  102  is positioned adjacent to the tube fly  42 ′ as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 &amp; 7 , the resilient mandrel anchors  40  are operably secured toward at least one side of the chamber  18  within the case  14 . Both left and right sides of the top and base portion of the case  14  structure are shown bearing mandrel anchors  40  in these figures. Each mandrel anchor  40  is formed of resilient material and includes at least one mandrel engaging portion  70  for detachably securing the first end  46  of a mandrel  44  therein. 
         [0030]    Preferably, the mandrel anchors  40  are formed of resilient foam and the mandrel engaging portion  70  is a slit formed within the foam. More preferably, the foam is closed cell, water resilient foam. Other resilient materials such as silicone, rubber, an elongate coil spring and the like may be used as desired. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , a plurality of parallelly aligned and spaced apart slits are provided in the resilient mandrel anchor  40 . Each slit serves as a possible mandrel engaging portion  70  for receiving a mandrel  44  therein and is aligned so that the remaining portion of each mandrel  44  extends inward toward the chamber  18  in the case  14  as shown. After a user operably secures a tube fly  42  to a mandrel  44  as previously described, he or she positions the first end  46  of the mandrel  44  over an available slit as shown. He or she then moves the mandrel  44  into the slit thereby securing the tube fly  42  in the chamber  18  of the case  14 . Unused mandrels  44  can be stored in an available slit until they are needed. An optional elastic strap  80  may be extended across the chamber  18  over the secured tube flies  42  to further secure the tube flies  42  in place. 
         [0032]    Should a user need a particular tube fly  42  from the container  10 , he or she simply lifts the mandrel  44  containing the desired tube fly  42  from its position on the mandrel anchor  40  and then slides the mandrel  44  out of the tube fly&#39;s tube  60 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 8  an alternative possible fishing lure  10 ′ storage container is disclosed. It features the case  14  of the earlier embodiment but includes an alternative possible lure anchoring structure  90 . At least one side of the case  14  includes one or more lure engaging hooks  92  extending inward toward the chamber  18  as shown. The floor  94  of the chamber  18  includes a resilient material  96 , which is preferably foam that has one or more elongate slits  98  aligned with the lure engaging hook  92 . 
         [0034]    Accordingly, a conventional hooked fishing lure  42 ′ may be safely secured within the chamber  18  by a user first positioning the eyelet  100  of a conventional fishing lure  42 ′ on a lure engaging hook  92  of the container  10 ′, then inserting the hooks  102  on the lure  42 ′ into the aligned slit or slits  98  as shown. It can be appreciated that an articulated lure  42 ″ can be stored in the container  10 ′ by securing hooks  102  extending from both the front portion  104  and rear portion  106  of the articulated lure  42 ′ into the aligned slit or slits  98 . 
         [0035]    Preferably, a plurality of lure-engaging hooks  92  is positioned spaced apart from each other as shown in  FIG. 8 . Accordingly, a related plurality of parallelly aligned and spaced apart slits  98  are provided to allow each lure engaging hook  92  to operably hold a lure  42 ′ as previously described. In addition, if desired, the features of the first disclosed embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-7  and the features of the second disclosed embodiment shown in  FIG. 8  can be combined into a single fishing lure container. 
         [0036]    The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.