Abstract:
Fishing lures constructed with internal strands of high tensile strength fibers (e.g. aramid) bonded to body pieces independent of any associated hooks. The strands are trained in appropriate alignments (e.g. longitudinally, transverse and/or radially) at high wear areas to enhance flexion and minimize tearing, especially at spanned joints. The fibers can be bonded into the body materials or anchored to the body pieces. Several soft plastic (e.g. plastisol and pvc) lures molded with resilient, durable stranded and webbed fibers enhancing durability and defining flexible joints, appendages etc. are disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to fishing lures and, in particular, to lures and a method of construction to include high tensile strength fibers (e.g. aramid, nylon) along with other lure accessory pieces (e.g. eyelets, fasteners, hooks, magnets, attractors) disposed in the lure body to prolong lure life, maintain resiliency, and improve fish catching properties. 
         [0002]    Fishing lures have been constructed from wide ranging materials, including lead, wood, resins, plastics, and soft plastics (e.g. plastisol, pvc and other pliable, resilient, expansible and compressible plastics) and wire or combinations thereof. The lures are typically configured in one or more sections and may include bill pieces or other body parts, including filamentary appendages that define or augment body movement. Multi-section, jointed lures and soft plastic lures enhance and/or provide side-to-side or swimming movements to the lure due to the presence of mechanical joints or the resilience and flexibility of the material. Joints between body sections or appendages are typically defined by homogeneous portions of the material used to mold the lure body. Occasionally, mechanical joints typically comprising hinge assemblies, for example, a piano-type hinge, interconnected eyelets or other mating hinge/pivot pieces, are included. The interconnected hinge pieces are fastened or molded into the adjoining body sections. 
         [0003]    Soft plastic lures with or without joints are typically molded to mimic natural bait species (e.g. alewives, minnows, crayfish, frogs, shad, salamanders, worms, insects, among many other natural fresh or saltwater baits). Some soft plastic, fresh water lures of which applicant is aware are shown at U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,815,978; 6,212,818; 7,107,719; 7,356,963; D537,911; and D542,882. The soft lure bodies typically include appendages and/or surface shapes that promote flexion during retrieval. 
         [0004]    Smaller body size soft plastic lures can be relatively inexpensive. When damaged with use such as exposure to the sun and weather or by tearing, tooth marks and other general abrasion, the lures are typically discarded. Where larger freshwater and saltwater fish are the targeted sport fish, the lures and/or “teasers” (e.g. hook free attractors) can be rather costly (e.g. $10.00-$50.00) and damaged lures with impaired movements frequently are used beyond there effective lives. 
         [0005]    The present invention was developed for adaptation to any size lure to provide resilient lure bodies of one or more sections that provide resilient flexion and life-like movement. The invention finds particular application with soft body or other plastic tear resistant plastic fishing lures. The lure bodies are constructed with internal strands of high tensile strength fibers (e.g. aramid, KEVLAR®, fiberglass, nylon, braided or woven fibers or other materials compatible with the material used to mold the lure body). 
         [0006]    The strands are trained in appropriate alignments (e.g. longitudinally, transverse, radially and/or circumferentially) within the lure body and especially at high wear areas, joints, appendages or the like to minimize tearing and generally improve lure life. The fibers can be used alone or in combination with a wrapping core (buoyant or non-buoyant) or any members used to retain associated hooks, attractors or accessories to the body. The fibers may also be interconnected with any such accessories. 
         [0007]    The reinforcement fibers find particular advantage in “swim bait” type lures which are constructed in relatively large sizes (e.g. 4 to 18 inches) to exhibit life-like movements. The bodies are molded from resilient, durable materials (e.g. plastisol, soft plastic, soft polyvinyl chloride (pvc) materials or other highly flexible materials) capable of flexing during lure retrieval. Portions of the fibers are presently wound on core pieces and trained through the molded bodies independent of mechanical joints, hook fasteners etc., although can be adapted to fasten to such accessory pieces. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a fishing lure containing strands of high tensile strength fibers relative to the body material to enhance lure durability, among other improvements. 
         [0009]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fishing lure containing strands of high tensile strength fibers that are trained within the body at high wear areas, joints and/or appendages susceptible to tearing, independent of any members used to retain associated hooks and other accessories to the body. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a fishing lure molded from a soft plastic containing at least one flexible joint or surface area and strands of aramid or other fibers that span the flexible lure region and are molded into the adjoining body pieces and impregnated with the molding material. 
         [0011]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing an array (e.g. longitudinal, transverse, radial, circumerential and/or spiral) of high tensile strength fibers that are arranged to permit body flexion and resilience and mimic lifelike movements. 
         [0012]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing a core piece and to which an array (e.g. longitudinal, transverse, radial, circumferential and/or spiral) of high tensile strength fibers are wound and that is arranged along with other accessory pieces (e.g. eyelets, fasteners, hooks etc.) in a fabrication mold to permit body flexion and resilience at the molded lure to mimic lifelike movements. 
         [0013]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing a web of high tensile strength fibers that extends within the body. 
         [0014]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded plastic fishing lure containing a woven web of high tensile strength fibers that span at least one flexible joint or between adjoining body pieces to act as a hinge and/or secure the pieces together. 
         [0015]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing flexible appendages constructed of or containing high tensile strength fibers that are bonded to the adjoining body pieces. 
         [0016]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing tubular members molded into the lure body to support wire forms that for example can support a fishing line, hooks, attractors or other accessories. 
         [0017]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing a magnet located to retain a fish hook to the body. 
         [0018]    The foregoing objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention, among others, are found in one presently considered lure construction, among other possible lures, that support a plurality of strands of high tensile strength materials to improve lure durability, permit body flexion and resilience to mimic lifelike movements. Molded into the lure body is a core piece having a plurality of channels, cavities, tubular appendages, bores and apertures. Strands of high tensile strength fibers (e.g. aramid, fiberglass, nylon, monofilament materials, fluorocarbon, braided or extruded fish line etc.) are wound and trained in the channels and through the appendages such that the fibers are impregnated into and/or with the molded body material. A variety of soft plastic materials (e.g. plastisol, polysilicon, soft pvc etc.) can be molded to define the lure. 
         [0019]    Tubular pieces fitted to the core piece or molded into the lure body support wire forms and/or fasteners for eyelets and other devices that contain a fish line, hooks and other lure dressing pieces to the lure. A magnet is also molded into the core piece and located to retain an adjacent fish hook against the lure body during lure retrieval. The core piece may also be buoyant, include hollow or sound producing cavities. 
         [0020]    Still other objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention will become more apparent from the following description with respect to the appended drawings. Considered alternative constructions, improvements or modifications are described as appropriate. The following description should therefore not be literally construed in limitation of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention should be broadly interpreted within the scope of the further appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view to an exemplary “swim bait” lure molded from a resilient, soft plastic material and wherein high tensile strength fibers are longitudinally and circumferentially supported in the lure body and appendages and span flexible joints interconnecting contiguous, adjoining body pieces to improve durability. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of the lure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a view of the lure of  FIG. 1  in partial cutaway to expose internal stranded fibers, wrapping core, tubular eyelet and hook supports, and a magnetic hook holder. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows mating mold halves and wherein one mold supports a core piece pre-wound with high tensile strength fibers and longitudinal fibers trained to span reduced thickness joints between successively contiguous body pieces. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective end view of a pre-wound core piece. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  shows a view of a mold supporting a core piece pre-wound with high tensile strength strands, high tensile strength webbed hinge and strand termination pieces and succeeding body core pieces that can be included, if desired. 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  shows a view of a mold supporting a pair of core pieces pre-wound with high tensile strength strands and interconnected with woven web pieces of high tensile strength fibers that span the hinge cavities and a woven strand termination pieces. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0028]    With attention to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view is shown to a multi-section fishing lure  2 . The lure  2  is molded as a unitary assembly from a continuous pour of a homogenous soft plastic material (e.g soft polyvinyl chloride (pvc) materials, plastisol and rubber or other highly flexible, resilient mixtures). The lure  2  is molded in the form of a fish and includes a relatively thick forward head piece  4 , center body pieces  6  and  7  and a tail piece  8 . The center piece  6  and tail piece  8  exhibit successively thinner or tapering profiles when viewed in a top view as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0029]    The body pieces  4 ,  6  and  8  are interconnected by relatively thin, joint or hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13 . The hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  vertically span the lure  2  and are homogenously molded with the body pieces  4 ,  6  and  8 . The material and hinged construction assure that the body and tail pieces  6  and  8  are thereby highly susceptible to lateral movement as the lure  2  is retrieved. 
         [0030]    The hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  each exhibit a thickness approximately ⅛ to ⅜ and no more than ½ the thickness of the body and tail pieces  4 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  as shown in the top view of  FIG. 2 . The thickness of the body and tail pieces  4 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  can vary as desired relative to preferred lure weight and designed hydrodynamic lure movements. The soft body material and width of the hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  permit the body and tail pieces  6 ,  7  and  8  to flex side-to-side. The hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  can be flat of can taper or flare to wider thicknesses at the junctions with the body and tail pieces  4 ,  6 ,  7  and  8 . Vertical striations  14  or grooves  15  (shown in dashed line), ribs or other surface features can also be let into the hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  to further exaggerate lateral flexion. 
         [0031]    Molded into the head piece  4  are lifelike surface features such as eyes  16 , gill plates  18  and fins  20 . The center body piece  6  includes fins  22  and  24 . The body and hinge pieces  7  and  13  include fins  26 ,  28  and the tail piece  8  includes a tail  30 . The fins  22 - 28  and tail  30  are formed and located to facilitate a desired hydrodynamic lure motion during lure retrieval via a fish line  32 . Depending upon the food specie being mimicked by the lure  2 , the lure  2  can be constructed to include other body appendages such as arms, legs, claws, tentacles and the like that can be included to project from associated body pieces. The body size, surface ornamentation, coloration and other aesthetic features of the lure  2  can be varied as desired. Additional visual, audible, scent or tactile attractors or dressings can also be added, attached or embedded in the lure  2 . 
         [0032]    One or more hooks  34  are secured to the lure  2  (e.g. treble hooks). Presently, a single treble hook  34  is secured to the head piece  4 . A magnetic member  36  is molded into the body piece  4  aft of the attachment point of the hook  34  and attracts the hook  34  such that the hook  34  lies against the body during lure retrieval. Grooves  37  or other surface projections or recesses at the member  36  facilitate retention of the member  36  to a core piece  42  discussed below and/or directly to the lure  2 , if a core piece  42  is not used. 
         [0033]      FIG. 3  depicts an enlarged view of the lure  2  in partial cutaway to expose internal, high tensile strength, stranded fibers  40 , a fiber wrapping core  42 , a tubular eyelet and hook wire form support piece  44 , and the magnetic hook holder  36 . The tubular piece  44  is typically used to provide a channel for a length of fishing line  32  that is threaded through the piece and tied to a hook  34 . Alternatively and as shown at  FIG. 3 , during final assembly a preformed wire insert  46  can be threaded through the tubular support piece  44  after the lure  2  is molded. Twisted loop portions  47  retain the hook  34  to the lure  2  and define an eyelet to which the fishing line  32  can be attached. 
         [0034]    The strands  40  can be embedded or directly molded into the molding material. Short tubular channel pieces  48  can also be embedded into the hinge pieces  10  and  12  and through longitudinal bores of which strands of the fibers  40  can be trained. The channel pieces  48  enhance the flexion of the hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13 , since the fibers  40  are not restricted and are free to move as the hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  move laterally. 
         [0035]    For some lures, it may be desired to selectively bond some of the fibers  40  to the lure body pieces  4 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  and allow others to float at one or more of any provided hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13 . For example, the fibers at the hinge piece  10  can be bonded directly to the hinge piece  10  and the fibers  40  at the hinge piece  12  can float in channel pieces  48 . The tailored attachment of the fibers  40  permits the design of tailored lateral lure movements to preferred orientations that define desired hydrodynamic lure movements. In lieu of tubular channel pieces  44 , longitudinal bores  48  may also be formed into the hinge and/or body pieces  4 ,  6 - 8 ,  10 ,  12  and  13 . 
         [0036]    The fibers  40  can exhibit a single or multi-stranded construction. For multi-stranded fiber  40 , the included thread pieces can be bundled loose, twisted, woven, braided or the like. Presently a multi-stranded aramid fiber material  40  is used that exhibits a tensile strength or break resistance that is particularly susceptible to impregnation with the soft plastic body material. Such a material is especially tear resistant in comparison to the soft pvc body material used to mold the body and hinge pieces  4 - 13 . The multi-stranded material permits the soft plastic pvc material to flow between and into the porous fibers and threads to securely integrate the fibers  40  into the lure  2 . The body and hinge pieces  4 - 13  are thereby securely held together when exposed to tearing and twisting motions from the teeth of a predator fish and/or to other typically encountered abrading forces. Other fibrous materials (e.g. fiberglass, nylon, monofilament materials, fluorocarbon, braided or extruded fish line etc.) can also be used to advantageous effect, provided the material exhibits sufficient tensile strength, tear resistance and adhesion properties to the molding material. Many such other fiber materials may however not bond as effectively as the present pvc material. 
         [0037]      FIG. 4  shows mating mold halves  50  and  60  used to mold the lure  2 . A wrapping core piece  42  and support  44  are supported in the mold half  60  with pins  61  or other suitable retainers.  FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the pre-wound core piece  42  removed from the mold halves  50  and  60 . The core piece  42  is typically pre-wound with high tensile strength fibers  40 . The fibers  40  are wound in spiral and longitudinal patterns as they are trained in transverse, circumferential channels  62  and longitudinal channels  64 . Bores  68  in the core piece  42  allow the fibers  40  to be re-directed as necessary to achieve a desired wrapping pattern. The core piece  42  is subsequently mounted in the mold half  60  as shown. 
         [0038]    The core piece  42  is constructed of a material compatible with the lure material such that the core piece  42  is bonded to the lure  2  and doesn&#39;t shift or separate from the body material. The density or buoyancy of the core piece  42  can be tailored to vary the buoyancy characteristics of the lure  2 . For example, the core  42  be used alone or hollow air pocket(s)  41 , foam piece(s) or weight(s)  43  can be added to the core piece  42  to vary the floatation characteristic of the lure  2 . One or more of any hollow chambers  41  can contain the foam, weight or rattle pieces  43 . Powered audible and/or tactile vibration producing pieces  45  can also be included to attract fish. 
         [0039]    The strands  40  trailing from the core piece  42  are appropriately trained in the mold  60 . Some of the strands  40  can be trained through tubular pieces  48  mounted to pedestals  66  that define the thickness of the joint pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  between the successively contiguous body and tail pieces  4 ,  6  and  8 . Pieces of mold release material  70  are pinned to the pedestals  66  to facilitate release of the lure  2  once molded to form. The fibers  40  can also be trained through shaped corrugations in the release material  70  that define bores in the hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  in lieu of tubular pieces  48 . The fibers  40  are overlapped at the tail piece recess  72  such that the lure material impregnates and interconnects the fibers  40 . 
         [0040]    Appropriate relieves or recesses  72  are defined in the mold halves  50  and  60  to form the fins and tail  22 - 30 . Channels  74  extend from the recesses  72  to allow air and material to vent and assure complete filling of the mating mold halves  50  and  60  and all the recesses  72  during molding. Fibers  40  and sprue material that extend beyond the lure molding cavities  50  and  60  are trimmed after molding. An injection or fill port  76  opens to the mold halves  50  and  60 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 6  shows a view of a mold half  60  that supports a core piece  42  pre-wound with high tensile strength strands  40  in substantially the same fashion as in  FIG. 4 . The fibers at the hinge piece  12  however are not encased in tubular members  48 . A distinguishable movement pattern is thereby obtained since the fibers  40  are directly impregnated at the hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  and the hinge pieces  10 ,  12  and  13  are less flexible. The fibers  40  are also bonded at a loosely woven, porous web piece  80  supported in the mold cavity that defines the tail piece  8 . The web piece  80  anchors the fibers  40 , which are either woven into or tied to the web piece  80  and also strengthens the tail  8  against tearing or detachment from the lure  2 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 7  shows yet another view of a mold half  60  that supports a pair of core pieces  42  and  82  that are interconnected with lengths of pre-wound fiber strands  40 . The core pieces  42  and  82  are formed to include recesses  84  and  86  that receive opposite ends of webbed hinge pieces  88  that span the intervening pedestal  62  at the region of the hinge pieces  10   12  and  13 . The webbing pieces  88  tend to increase the durability of the coupling between the head and mid-body pieces  4 ,  6  and  7 . A web piece  80  is also used to collect the ends of the fibers  40  at the tail piece  8 . 
         [0043]    While the invention has been described with respect to considered alternative assemblies and considered improvements or alternatives thereto, still other assemblies may be suggested to those skilled in the art. It is also to be appreciated that selected ones of the foregoing components can be used singularly or can be arranged in different combinations to provide a variety of improved lures. For example, the strands  40  can be bonded to a lure without a core piece  42 . High tensile strength woven web pieces  80  can also be positioned in the body to span individual joints and/or multiple body pieces. The fibers  40  can be interconnected with lure attractor and accessory pieces. Hollow chambers, foam, weights, rattle pieces or other attractors, along with a magnetic hook holder, can be integrated into the body. The foregoing description should therefore be construed to include all those embodiments within the spirit and scope of the following claims.