Abstract:
A safe fishing bobber is disclosed having a plastic, hollow shield holding the hook and bait inside to protect against accidental contact with the hook, preventing snags on water structures and protecting the bait. An attached stem extends vertically from the shield. Fishermen use floats of various colors, shapes and styles for various fishing methods, buoyancy requirements and personal preference. This safe bobber design allows the fisherman to choose from varieties of floats and easily apply one onto the stem. The float is above water when in use, while the shield remains submerged. The fishing depth is set with a slide able stop member placed above the bobber on the fishing line, which stops at the tip of the stem when this depth is reached. The bait drops into the water to the desired depth. When retrieved, the hook returns into the shield as guided by the line through the stem.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This continuation in part application claims the priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/474,203 filed on Jun. 26, 2006, entitled “SAFESLIDE BOBBER APPARATUS”. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to fishing hooks, lines, sinkers and related fishing lures and rigs.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     A variety of fishing bobbers are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,777, No. 2,607,152, No. 2,910,798, No. 2,629,198, No. 4,060,925, No. 3,063,187, and many others attempt to prevent damage to bait, such as a minnow, when cast upon the water by providing a protective tube in which the bait is placed. At the same time, providing an attached float member to indicate a fish has grabbed a baited hook. Another bite indicator, such as U.S. Patent Application 20050120615, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,519,894 and 3,686,787 shield the hook from danger and snags while casting and retrieving the hook. U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,743, No. 4,610,104, No. 4,534,127 and German Patent No. 19836255 provide protection for the bait when cast upon the water and provide protection from hook danger when casting and from snagging on water structures while retrieving from the water. 
        While developing, making and using the preferred embodiment, it is found that a bite indicator in which provides a shield from the dangers of casting a fishing hook, prevents snagging on water substances, such as brush, logs, moss and trees, when casting and retrieving the hook. At the same time, this bobber protects the bait, such as a minnow, from damage when casting and impacting the water. With such a device, a fine balance must be achieved. The size, shape, placement and buoyancy of the float and/or air chamber, in conjunction with the size, weight and physical properties of the tube structure, which provides the protection for the hook and bait, must be closely balanced when in the water to achieve the desired buoyancy and vertical position of the device. When more buoyancy is added, the lesser the desired vertical positioning of the device and when more size and weight of the protecting tube is added, the lesser the desired buoyancy. Adding various sizes and weights of fishing rigs to the device further unbalances the desired buoyancy and vertical positioning and efficiency of such a device. The current invention to be described will show many changes and differing embodiment features, which provides, maintains and adjusts this desired balance. The description and illustrations will further explain why and how this desired balance is met. It will also show other advantageous features which all enhance the efficiency and use of a bite indicator of this type.        
 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present fishing bobber efficiently provides protection from the hook when being cast. It protects the bait from damage when casting and when hitting the water. It further prevents snags when casting or when retrieving the hook and bait back from the water. The shield of the fishing bobber protects the hook and holds the size and weight of the fishing rig. The shield is completely submerged when in the water. The shields larger, lowermost, open ended area is provided for the hook and bait or lure to be loosely suspended inside, as to not get lodged inside the shield. And for the hook to not get caught on the edge of the shield when drawn back up into the shield from the water. The shield quickly fills with water when cast upon a body of water, allowing the device to quickly assume and maintain a stable, vertical position when submerged. All undesired air, which forms in the shield when the bite indicator hits the water, is quickly and efficiently funneled into and out of the smaller, uppermost, closed ended area of the shield through vent slots, also located in the closed area of the shield. These slots, in conjunction with the smaller circumference of the upper closed area, also provide a gripping handle to hold onto after catching a fish. A narrow stem is attached and extends vertically from the center area of the closed end of the shield. The stem provides a passageway for the fishing line into the shield. The stem also holds the float. Interchangeable floats are easily applied onto and removed off of the stem. The fisherman can choose and interchange a float from a variety of shapes, styles, colors and buoyancies for various types of fishing, various weights and sizes of rigs, fishing conditions or for personal preference. This device provides the luxury of float choice with one shield. When inserted onto the stem, the float will rest on the outside, top of the shield and circumjacent the stem. The stem is a separation point between the weight of the shield and rig from the buoyancy of the interchangeable float. This fishing bobber, as well as many other types of bite indicators, uses a well known method called slip bobber fishing. A lightweight slide able stop member to set the fishing depth is attached to the fishing line and located above the device. The fishing line is inserted into the stem and fed down a narrow passageway and into the shield. A second fishing line insertion point into the shield is provided in the closed area of the shield for ultra light rigs, in which drop easier into the water when submerged. A fixed stop member, such as a fishing sinker, is attached onto the line and adjusted as such that the hook and bait or lure attached to the end of the fishing line is suspended inside the larger open area of the shield. The fixed stop member will rest against fishing line entry hole into the shield. When in the water, the slide able stop member will be located at the tip of the stem. The weight, hook and bait or lure will be in the water at the desired fishing depth.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     Sheet 1,  FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of the bobber with the float and securing sleeve applied. The fishing rig and line is shown applied through out the bobber.  
         [0007]     Sheet 2,  FIG. 2  is a top down view of the bobber showing outside dimensions of the shield hook and bait area  201 , air release chamber  202 , stem  203 , vents slots  204 , fishing line entry into the stem  205 , second, optional fish line entry  206  and float securing sleeve  207 .  
         [0008]     Sheet 2,  FIG. 3  is top down view of an interchangeable float&#39;s outside diameter  301  and a bore through the float  302 .  
         [0009]     Sheet 2,  FIG. 4A -D is a side view of interchangeable float styles with center bore  401 .  
         [0010]     Sheet 3,  FIG. 5 . ( FIG. 5A, 5B , SC) is a side view of three shapes of the shield with an interchangeable float and fishing rig applied.  
         [0011]     Sheet 4,  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the bobber.  FIG. 6A  is the bobber hitting the water and releasing trapped air.  FIG. 6B  is the bobber in the water with the fishing hook and bait released.  FIG. 6C  shows the bobber with the float and float securing member removed from the shield.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     As seen in  FIG. 1 , the present invention comprises a fishing bobber with a shield  101 . The shield  101  shall be made of a light weight, clear plastic and/or tinted in various colors while retaining enough transparency to be able to see the hook and bait  112  and fixed line stop  113  inside the shield  101 . The shield  101  shall be of a thin walled and hollow construction. The plastic shall be self submersible and have a specific gravity equal to or greater than that of water (1.0). When made, the two distinct areas of the shield  101 , the hook and bait area  102  and the air release chamber  103  can be dimensionally expanded or contracted independently or together when formed in various combinations and sizes, to be suitably adapted to be used with differing sizes of fishing rigs for various types of fishing as seen in  FIG. 5 . The shield  101  portion will then take on a distinct look of a horn shape, funnel shape or bell shape as seen in  FIGS. 5A, 5B  and  5 C. A preferred size shield  101  for use with standard freshwater fishing, such as bluegill, bass or catfish will be described below and illustrated in  FIG. 1  and look like that of a horn shape. The lower most portion  102  of the shield  101  is the hook and bait area  102 . The hook and bait area  102  is open  104  at its largest, lowermost portion and is formed like those of the larger bottom half of a hollow cone. The upper most portion of the shield  101  is the air release chamber  103  and is somewhat of a cylindrical shape. The air release chamber  103  has an overall size and capacity which is less than that of the larger hook and bait area  102 . The upper most area  105  of the air release chamber  103  is closed ended, other than an opening  106 , which leads to the fishing line  114  passageway  107  of a stem portion  108 . A small hole  109 , formed through the closed end  105  of the shield  101  near or around the stem  108  provides a second fish line passageway. The very top closed ended portion of the air release chamber  105  is also optionally rounded or tapered. The formation of this area  105  has shown not to be critical in the operation of the device as long as it has a diameter large enough as to not allow a fixed line stop  113  to get lodged in this area  103 . The air release chamber  103  is the area of the shield  101  which contains vent slots  111 . The thin outer walls of the hook and bait area  102  and the air release chamber  103  taper together to form the hollow, horn shaped shield  101 . The lower hook and bait area  102  of the shield  101  is of a larger diameter and capacity to allow a fish hook and bait or lure  112  of the rig to be suspended loosely in this area. This allows for a space to exist between and around the hook and bait or lure  112  of the rig and the walls of the hook and bait area  102  as to not allow the hook and bait  112  of the rig to get lodged in this area  103 . A fixed line stop  113 , such as a fishing weight, leader or bead is adjusted and fixed to the fishing line  114  at the point above the hook and bait  112  as to keep the hook and bait  112  suspended in the desired location of the hook and bait area  102 . The fixed line stop  113  is of a larger size than that of the opening  106 , which leads to the fish line passageway  107  of the stem  108  and larger than an optional fishing line entry hole  109 . This prevents the fixed line stop  113  from being passed up into the fishing line passageway  107  of the stem  108  or through the hole  109 . The larger, open, lower most diameter  104  of the hook and bait area  102  lessens the occurrence that the hook  112  of the fishing rig will not get caught on the edge of the lower circumference of the hook and bait area  102 , when it is drawn up into the shield  101 . The water pressure around the larger capacity, hook and bait area  102 , allows the bite indicator to maintain and hold the desired vertical position when in the water, with an optional range of float buoyancy. The impact of the shield  101  hitting the water creates air pockets to form in various inside areas of the shield  101 , thus adding undesired buoyancy throughout the shield  101  and hindering the desired vertical position of the bite indicator. The water and air, which enters the larger capacity and opening  104  of the hook and bait area  102 , when it is cast upon the water, is quickly funneled into the smaller capacity air release chamber  103  of the shield  101 . All of the air is released from the shield  101  as it simultaneously fills completely with water, in turn, allowing the bite indicator to quickly assume the desired, stabilized vertical position in the water. The air release is efficiently provided through vent slots  111  which are formed in the air release chamber  103 . The vent slots  111  extend vertically straight down or at an angle from and around the top closed end portion  105  of the air release chamber  103 . The length of the vent slots shall extend from, but not into the stem  108 , as to not interfere with the fishing line  114  or fixed line stop  113  and down towards, but not to extend into the hook and bait area  102  of the shield  101 , to not interfere with the hook and bait  112 . The slotted vents  111  are to be formed of a narrow width to eliminate the occurrence of the fixed line stop  113  being passed through the vent slots  111  to the outside wall of the air release chamber  103 . The number of vent slots  111  formed shall be unlimited and will depend on the circumference and size of the air release chamber  103 . The long, narrow characteristic and location of these vent slots  111  provide efficient air release from the entire shield  101 . These elongated vent slots  111  along with the smaller circumference of the air release chamber  103  provide a non-slip gripping handle which allows for easier handling of a caught fish. The larger hook and bait area  102  in conjunction with the smaller air release chamber  103 , which together form the shield  101 , efficiently allows the fishing bobber to quickly assume the desired vertical position when cast into the water and simultaneously deliver the hook and bait  112  and fixed line stop  113  straight down into the water. The stem portion  108  of the shield  101  provides a separation point  110  between the buoyancy of the float  116  and the submersible, combined weight of the hook and bait  112 , fixed line stop  113  and the shield  101 . The separation between the stem  108  and shield  101  provides the fisherman an easy method of adding a larger float  116  to provide more buoyancy when a rig of a larger weight is added, while using the same shield  101  with attached stem  108 . The stem  108  furthermore provides the fisherman an easy, quick method to interchange floats  116  of various buoyancies and styles. The stem  108  is a long, narrow and tube like and extends vertically from the top of the outside, center axis  110  of the air release chamber  103 . The stem  108  shall be made of a rigid plastic or other rigid material The outside diameter of the stem  108  is much smaller than that of the air release chamber  103  and the hook and bait area  102  of the shield  101 . The stem  108  is of just enough outside diameter to provide a rigid wall thickness for attaching and detaching the interchangeable float  116 . The inside, center bore  107  of the stem  108  shall be of a diameter large enough to provide a smooth, frictionless passageway for a fishing line  114  to pass freely back and forth along the inside, vertical length of the stem  108 . The diameter of the entry hole  106  at the tip of the stem  108  is of a diameter in which a slide able line stop  115 , attached on the fishing line  114  above the fishing bobber, will not pass into the top entry hole  106  of the stem  108 . The diameter of the opening  106 , where the stem  108  meets the air release chamber  103  will be as such that it is larger or equal to that of the fish line passageway  107  and small enough to not allow the fixed stop member  113  such as a fishing weight, leader or bead not to be allowed to pass up into the fishing line passageway  107  of the stem  108 . The stem  108  shall extend from and slightly into the junction where stem  108  meets the top centermost axis  110  of the air release chamber  103 , and vertically to a length of no longer than the combined total vertical length of the shield  101 . The stem  108  length shall be long enough to pass completely through the bore (see  FIG. 4-401 ) of the largest interchangeable float  116  provided for a shield  101 , a small plastic sleeve  117 , and a slight protrusion  118  beyond the sleeve  117 . The stem  108  allows the fisherman to easily change the float  116  in seconds by hand using the same shield  101  and stem  108 . It must be noted that in manufacture, that the stem  108  can be attached to the shield  101  by various methods including heat bonding, glue bonding, snap fit or a compressed fitting to name a few. The stem can be molded into the shield as one piece for larger models. But due to injection mold limitations a smaller size fishing bobber of this type may require the stem  108  to be attached separately as described. The interchangeable floats  116  can be of many differing shapes, sizes, colors, styles, materials and buoyancy. These floats (see  FIG. 4 ) are changed by fisherman for color preference, identification purposes when several fishermen are in close proximity, for different types of sport fishing and for adjusted buoyancy when using various size rigs. These floats ( FIG. 4 ) will all have one thing in common in that they all have a bore ( FIG. 4-401 ), which extends completely through the centermost axis of each of the floats ( FIG. 4A-4D ). The bore diameter ( FIG. 4-401 ) is the same diameter of the outside diameter of the stem  108  when the float  116  is made of a pliable material such as expandable polystyrene or other closed cell foams. This bore will be slightly larger for floats made of a hard material for ease of changeability. When the float  116  is applied, it is simply slid onto the stem  108  and rests on the top, of the outside area  105  of the air release chamber  103 . A small plastic sleeve  117  is placed onto the stem  108 , behind and on top of the float  116 , to provide a means to secure the float  116 . The small sleeve  117  is made of a tubular, thin walled, flexible, buoyant plastic such as polyethylene. It is made in various colors as desired and shall have an inside diameter the same as the bore  401  of the float  116 . The sleeve  117  shall have an outside diameter more than that of the stem  108  and its height is generally close to that of its outside diameter. The float securing member  117  can also comprise of a stem insert  119 . The insert  119  is made of a rigid plastic and comprises a small tubular stem with a center bore  120  through its length. The outside diameter of the insert  119  is the same as the inside diameter of the opening to the stem  106 . The insert  119  has annularly flared flange  121  on its top which extends beyond the outside diameter of the tip of the stem  118 . This flange will not allow the float  116  to slip off of the stem  108 . The center bore diameter  120  of the insert  119  also acts as the stopping means for the slide able stop member  115 .  
         [0013]     In operation, the bobber is cast upon the water as seen in  FIG. 6A . Any trapped air is released through the vent slots. The bobber holds and maintains its vertical position in the water, when the fixed line stop and hook/bait or lure drops into the water to the desired fishing depth, as determined by the slide able stop member as seen in  FIG. 6B . The fixed line stop and hook/bait or lure is drawn back up into the shield when the fishing line and rig is retrieved back to the fisherman.