Abstract:
A fishing lure includes a rattle that is adjustable between a rattling mode and a muted mode. The fishing lure includes a body having an outer surface and an inner surface. Inside the body is a rattle chamber and a muted chamber, with a channel connecting the rattle chamber with the muted chamber. The rattle is moveable between the muted chamber and the rattle chamber to determine when rattling is available and when the rattle is muted.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/942,566, filed Jun. 7, 2007, said application being relied upon and incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     One of the most important aspects of fishing is to attract fish. That is, the fish must be enticed to seize the hook on a lure in order for the fisherman to be successful. One of the oldest ways to attract fish to the hook is to simply put live bait on the hook, such that the motion of the bait will attract the desired fish. In addition to live bait, artificial baits have commonly been used, with innumerable lure designs having the appearance of a fish, frog or other animal that is attractive to fish as a food source. With artificial baits, various accessories are used to attract fish into the general vicinity, such as the realistic appearance of the fishing lure or the creation of particular noises or vibrations in the water to attract the fish. 
     To create noise, lures have been designed to rapidly revolve when drawn through the water to create a whistle-like sound, or to include a rattle that will generate noise as the fishing lure is retrieved in water. A drawback to such designs is that the user may desire for the fishing lure to rattle at certain times, but be mute at other times. As a result, the user may have to physically remove and replace the fishing lure, which can require significant amounts of time and effort, and dissuades the user from changing lures when desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A fishing lure is described herein that includes a rattle that can easily be moved from a rattling position and a muted position within the fishing lure. The adjustment between the rattling position and the non-rattling position is accomplished by rotating the fishing lure in a desired motion to adjust the position of the rattle in the body of the fishing lure. As a result, the user of the fishing lure can transform it from a rattling lure to a silent lure, or vice versa, at any time. 
     More specifically, the fishing lure includes an internal connection channel connecting the open rattle chamber with the muted chamber. The channel is designed to prevent undesired travel of the rattle within the fishing lure, such that the rattle will substantially remain in either the rattle chamber or in the muted chamber. In particular, the rattle chamber has a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the rattle, with the rattle chamber extending substantially along the width of the fishing lure to allow movement of a rattle or weight in the rattle chamber and generate a corresponding noise for attracting fish. In contrast, the width of the muted chamber is substantially the equivalent, or slightly larger, of the diameter of the rattle. This allows the rattle to enter the muted chamber, but allows very little movement otherwise. Therefore, the movable weight will produce a rattling sound while located in the open rattle chamber during agitation or movement of the fishing lure, but little or no sound when the fishing lure is moved or agitated and the rattle is trapped in the muted chamber. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the fishing lure having an easily adjusted rattle, said center portion of the fishing lure being sectional to illustrate the rattle; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are perspective views of the fishing lure as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ,  FIGS. 2 and 3  showing the rotation of the fishing lure to adjust the position of the rattle; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the fishing lure as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the rattle being positioned in a chamber to limit noise generation; 
         FIGS. 5-8  provide a perspective view of an embodiment corresponding to the one shown in  FIGS. 1-4 ; and 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  are bottom views of the fishing lure as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the figures showing the connection channel and rattle chamber illustrated in phantom. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Looking at the attached figures, a fishing lure  10  is illustrated that can be adjusted between a position in which a rattle or weight  18  produces a rattle sound when agitated (see  FIGS. 1 and 5 ) and a position in which the rattle  18  produces little or no rattle sound when the fishing lure  10  is agitated (see  FIGS. 4 and 8 ). The adjustment between the rattling position and the non-rattling position is accomplished by rotating the fishing lure  10  in a desired motion to adjust the position of the rattle  18  in the body  13  of the fishing lure  10 . As a result, the user of the fishing lure  10  can transform it from a rattling lure to a substantially silent lure, or vice versa, at any time, including while the fishing lure  10  is attached to fishing line, without requiring the disassembly or intrusion upon the body  13  of the fishing lure  10  itself. 
     More specifically, the fishing lure  10  includes an internal connection channel or passage  12  connecting a first chamber  14 , or an open rattle chamber, with a second chamber  16 , or a closed muted chamber. In particular, the rattle  18  of the fishing lure  10  has a rattle diameter, and the rattle chamber  14  has a width or diameter (depending on the shape of the chamber  14 ) that is greater than the rattle diameter  18 , with the rattle chamber  14  extending laterally substantially along the width W of the fishing lure  10  (see  FIGS. 9 and 10 ) to allow lateral movement of the rattle  18  in the rattle chamber  14  to generate a corresponding noise for attracting fish. In contrast, the width of the muted chamber  16  is substantially the equivalent, or slightly larger, of the rattle diameter, and there is little or no lateral movement of the rattle  18  in the muted chamber  16 . As a result, the rattle  18  is able to enter the muted chamber  16 , although there is very little movement of the rattle  18  in the muted chamber  16  otherwise. Consequently, the movable rattle  18  will produce a rattling sound while located in the open rattle chamber  14  during agitation or movement of the fishing lure  10 , such as when retrieved in water, but little or no sound when the fishing lure is moved or agitated and the rattle  18  is trapped in the muted chamber  16 . 
     The rattle  18  illustrated is generally spherical and can be made of a variety of materials, with examples including a round steel or brass ball, or a ball made of tungsten. Gravity and the shape of the connection channel  12  will generally keep the rattle  18  in the chamber selected by the user during use (either in the rattle chamber  14  or the muted chamber  16 ). More specifically, the geometry of the chambers  14 ,  16  and connection channel  12  is such that during casting of the fishing lure  10 , the initial forces acting on the rattle  18  will keep it in the selected chamber  14 ,  16 . Furthermore, the orientation of the fishing lure  10  as it is retrieved in water will be kept upright, as guided by a bill  11 , to keep the rattle  18  in the selected chamber  14 ,  16  during retrieval of the fishing lure  10  as well. 
     The fishing lure  10  has a width (W), length (L) and height (H), with the height of the fishing lure  10  being defined by the separation between a lower surface  20  of the fishing lure  10  and an upper surface  22  of the fishing lure  10 . Both the rattle chamber  14  and the muted chamber  16  are positioned proximate the lower surface  20  of the fishing lure  10 , with a wall or partition  24  separating the muted chamber  16  from the rattle chamber  14 . The connection channel  12  joins the rattle chamber  14  with the muted chamber  16  in an indirect or somewhat circuitous manner as described further herein. As illustrated, the connection channel  12  has an inner surface  12   i  and an outer surface  12   o  that is substantially parallel to the inner surface  12   i . In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4  and  5 - 8 , the connection channel  12  includes three lengths, namely, first length L 1 , second length L 2 , and third length L 3 . There is generally a first interior angle between the first length L 1  and second length L 2  and a second interior angle between the second length L 2  and third length L 3 . Further, in the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , the connection channel  12  is substantially triangular, while in the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 5-8 , the second length L 2  between the first and third lengths L 1 , L 3  has a slight arc, which further assists the user in keeping the rattle  18  in the desired chamber  14 ,  16  of the fishing lure  10 . 
     Looking at the attached drawings, the rattle  18  can be moved from one chamber  14 ,  16  to the other chamber  14 ,  16  by rotating the fishing lure  10  in a circular motion A. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the length L of the fishing lure  10  during normal use while being retrieved in water is substantially horizontal.  FIGS. 2-4  illustrate movement of the rattle  18  from the rattle chamber  14  to the muted chamber  16  to limit the amount of noise produced by the fishing lure  10  while fishing. As the user rotates the fishing lure  10  in a direction A, gravity will cause the rattle  18  to travel the first length L 1  of the connection channel  12  toward the upper surface  20  of the fishing lure  10 . As the user continues to rotate the fishing lure  10 , the rattle  18  will travel from first length L 1  to second length L 2  toward the rear of the fishing lure  10 . Finally, as the user returns the fishing lure  10  to the normal horizontal position shown in  FIG. 4 , the rattle  18  will travel the third length L 3  to be securely positioned in the muted chamber  16  without allowing significant movement. As shown in the drawings in this embodiment, the fishing lure  10  is rotated counter-clockwise (in direction A) to move the rattle  18  from the rattle chamber  14  to the muted chamber  16 . Once the rattle  18  is in the muted chamber  16 , the user will rotate the fishing lure  10  in an opposite, clockwise direction to move the rattle  18  from the muted chamber  16  back in to the rattle chamber  14 . Furthermore, it is also foreseeable that the positions of the chambers  14 ,  16  within the fishing lure  10  could be reversed, such that the rattle chamber  14  is positioned towards the rear of the fishing lure  10  as compared with the muted chamber  16 . In such an embodiment, it is clear that the user would rotate the fishing lure  10  in opposite directions as discussed above to move the rattle  18  between the muted chamber  16  and the rattle chamber  14 . 
     Looking to  FIGS. 1 and 9 , the rattle chamber  14  is shaped to allow the rattle  18  to move back and forth in a lateral motion due to the action of the fishing lure  10  as it is retried in water. More specifically, the width of the rattle chamber  14  is larger than the diameter of the rattle  18  to allow movement and generation of noise as the rattle  18  strikes the sides of the rattle chamber  14 . As previously noted, the rattle chamber  14  also extends substantially along the width W of the fishing lure  10  (see  FIG. 9 ), so that the rattle  18  is free to move in lateral direction B across the width W of the fishing lure  10  to strike the end sides of the rattle chamber  14 . 
     In contrast, the muted chamber  16  opposite the rattle chamber  14  does not allow back and force motion of the rattle  18  within the fishing lure  10 . That is, the muted chamber  16  has a substantially similar diameter as compared to the rattle  18 , with no additional length along the width W of the fishing lure  10 . That allows the rattle  18  to enter the muted chamber  16  without providing much, if any, room for lateral movement of the rattle  18  to engage the walls surrounding the muted chamber  16 . Consequently, by directing the rattle  18  into the muted chamber, the user is able to minimize or eliminate the noise produced by the fishing lure  10  while it is in use, namely, being cast into and retrieved in water. 
     The shape of the path of the channel  12  helps to keep the rattle  18  in the desired chamber  14 ,  16 , such that normal casting and retrieving forces do not allow the ball or rattle  18  to easily move between the chambers  14 ,  16  unless directed by the user. That is, the somewhat triangular shape of the inner wall  12   i  of the channel  12  as illustrated in the attached drawings prevents the rattle  18  from moving upward and around and edge or corner of the inner wall  12   i . Rather, during casting and retrieval of the fishing lure  10  by the user, when an abrupt force encourages horizontal movement of the rattle  18  in the channel  12 , the angled or rounded sides of inner  12   i  will limit upward movement and thereby prevent the rattle  18  from traveling around the inner wall  12   i  and into the opposing chamber  14 ,  16 . It has been found that the somewhat triangular shapes of the inner wall  12   i  and the channel  12  illustrated in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-4  and  FIGS. 5-8  provide the desired results of keeping the rattle in the desired chamber  14 ,  16  during use of the fishing lure  10 . However, it is noted that other shapes (such as substantially circular, ellipsoidal, egg-shaped, or trapezoidal, among others) could potentially be implemented so as to contain and control movement of the rattle  18  between the muted chamber  16  and the rattle chamber  14 . 
     Although the drawings illustrate the shape of the rattle  18 , the muted and rattle chambers  14 ,  16 , and the channel  12  connecting the chambers  14 ,  16 , it is noted that various other designs could be substituted for use in different lures  10  according to the shape and size of the fishing lure  10  and to adjust the sound produced by the rattle  18  in the fishing lure  10 . Furthermore, the channel  12  and chambers  14 ,  16  may either be integrally formed to the body  13  of the fishing lure  10  or affixed to interior surfaces of the fishing lure  10 , as desired by the user. 
     Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the fishing lure having a controlled rattled, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, this fishing lure is not limited to the specific embodiments as illustrated herein, but is only limited by the following claims.