Abstract:
The paddle of the present invention is a paddle having an extendable and retractable spear. The paddle of the present invention provides the customary utility of providing motion when used in connection with a water vessel. The present invention is particularly directed to an interior or exterior spear, which the user can selectably extend and retract.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/259,452, filed Nov. 24, 2015, entitled Paddle with an Extendable and Retractable Spear. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to a unique paddle including a spear. In particular, the spear can be selectively extended and retracted for the convenience and use of the user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    The accompanying drawings, which are included as illustrative only, provide a further disclosure and understanding of the present invention. These drawings are incorporated and constitute a part of the disclosure and specification illustrating representative embodiments of the invention, and when taken together with the written description serve to explain the principles of the invention and provide an enabling disclosure: 
           [0004]    In the drawings: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates generally a paddle and its external component parts; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of an internal extendible and retractable rod member; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  illustrates a kick-back angle between the paddle shaft and blade; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  illustrates the deployable and retractable interior rod member in a retracted position adjacent a face of the paddle blade; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  illustrates the deployable and retractable rod member in a deployed position extending beyond the tip or edge of the paddle blade. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0010]    The following detailed description is merely illustrative of the nature of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the details of the particular described embodiments. As used herein, the terms “representative” or “illustrative” or “embodiment” mean merely a representative application of the present invention. Additional and equivalent implementations of the concepts of the present invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. There is no intention for the scope for the present invention to be limited or bound by the illustrative embodiments set forth herein. 
         [0011]    Detailed reference will now be made to illustrative embodiments of the present invention as set forth hereafter and in  FIGS. 1-5 . 
         [0012]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a paddle  10  is the subject of the present invention. Paddles commonly comprise a grip  20 , a shaft  30 , and a blade  40 . The grip  20  may be any conventional grip providing the structure suitable to the user to satisfy any ergonomic or comfort features of the grip. The grip  20  is traditionally located on one end of the shaft  30 . 
         [0013]    Shaft  30  comprises three portions, namely, an upper shaft portion  31 , and middle shaft portion  32 , and a lower shaft portion  33 . Traditionally, grip  20  is attached to upper shaft portion  31 . 
         [0014]    In one embodiment of the present invention, shaft  30  comprises a first shaft portion  35  and a second shaft portion  36 . First shaft portion  35  and second shaft portion  36  is configured so as to have a telescoping nature. That is, one shaft portion may slide within the other shaft portion. For example, shaft portion  36  may slide in a telescoping manner within shaft portion  35 . At a shaft juncture  37 , a means  37  for fixing the relative positions of first shaft portion  35  and second shaft portion  36  may be disposed. Such means may comprise a selectively releasable clamping mechanism to fix the relative position of first shaft portion  35  with second shaft portion  36 . This means will be referred to in this application as the positioning means  37 . 
         [0015]    Positioning means  37  can be any conventional screw-type tightener, clamping mechanism, or other known mechanism by which the position of telescoping members are held in a selectably fixed relationship one to another. The description of one embodiment of this invention are not dependent upon the nature of the positioning means but only on the ability of the user to cause one shaft portion to move in a telescoping fashion within another shaft portion as described below. As known by those skilled in the art, shaft  30  may be a straight shaft or a bent shaft. For purposes of this invention, a straight shaft is illustrated. One of skill in the art would understand how the concepts of the invention described in this patent can be adapted when used in connection with a bent shaft. 
         [0016]    The blade  40  comprises a throat portion  41  defining a transition point between shaft  30  and blade  40 . Blade  40  comprises a power face which contacts the water during a forward stroke and back face opposite the power face. For purposes of this invention, whether extendible and retractable rod member is used in conjunction with the power face or back face is only represented illustratively. Blade  40  also comprises an edge or tip  42  designating the extreme end of the paddle. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , one embodiment of the present paddle invention comprises a rod  50  slidable within shaft  30 . One embodiment is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Depicted are a handle/shaft adapter  51 , a control rod  52 , a shaft guide  53 , an upper shaft adapter  54 , and upper shaft  55 , a cable adapter  56 , a flexible cable  57 , a lower shaft  58 , and a tip  60 . This configuration illustrates the present invention in which telescoping members of shaft  30  house components of rod  50  to effect deployment and retraction of rod  50  in a paddle including a kick-back angle Ø between shaft  30  and blade  40 , see  FIG. 3 . 
         [0018]    As depicted in  FIG. 2 , handle/shaft adapter  51  is configured to be fixed within second shaft portion  36  of paddle  10 . Control rod  52  engages handle/shaft adapter  51 . Shaft guide  53  is disposed within first shaft portion  35 . Shaft guide  53  is connected to control rod  52  and slides within shaft  30 . Upper shaft adapter  54  is attached to shaft guide  53 . Upper shaft adapter acts as a host to upper shaft  55 . The combination of control rod  52 , shaft guide  53 , upper shaft adapter  54 , and upper shaft  55  is a rod member which can slide on the interior of shaft  30 . Cable adapter  56  is attached to upper shaft  55 . Cable adapter  56  allows the attachment of a flexible cable  57  because the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2  employs a kick-back angle between shaft  30  and blade  40 . Flexible cable  57  allows a force being exerted along control  52  to be transmitted at an angle within shaft  30  and blade  40 . Lower shaft  58  is then attached to flexible cable  57 . Lower shaft  58  acts as a host for tip  60 . 
         [0019]    Tip  60  may comprise any number of functional configurations, for example, if the device of the present invention is used as a defense mechanism against any undesirable water fowl or creatures, tip  60  may comprise a spear tip or an exploding spear tip that can be detonated by impact or some other conventional trigger means. If the paddle is used for collecting debris, tip  60  could comprise some type of gathering or grasping tip or even a small net. If the technology of the present invention is used for sport fishing, tip  60  could be a detachable barbed spear tip with an attached line, the tip being detachable or releasable such that when a barbed tip penetrates a fish and is lodged therein, the tip releases or breaks away but remains tethered by a line held by the user or the paddle. In any event, tip  60  is selectively removable and interchangeable depending upon the desired use and tip configuration. 
         [0020]    The illustrative drawings of this application show a pointed spear tip, which could be used for a number of applications. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  depicts an angle Ø or a kick-back angle between the axis of shaft  30  and the plane of blade  40 . A kick-back angle can be advantageous for paddling. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , members  51  through  58  provide one embodiment of rod  50  contained within shaft  30  which can be deployed and retracted using a telescoping configuration of the paddle. As further illustrated in  FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 , an opening on a face of paddle  40  acts a host to lower shaft  58  as rod  50  extends and retracts through the face of blade  40 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , rod  50  with tip  60  resides in a retracted position adjacent a face of blade  40 . When extended or employed, as shown in  FIG. 5 , lower shaft  58  extends outward beyond blade edge  42  allowing tip  60  to be utilized by the user. In a telescoping configuration of shaft  30 , upper shaft  58  can be extended and retracted by a corresponding mechanical movement or change in relative position of first shaft portion  35  and second shaft portion  36  when positioning means  37  permits or facilitates such movement. 
         [0023]    Tip  60  may be selectively added to or removed from upper shaft  58 . The connection between tip  60  and upper shaft  58  can be by any conventional means such as a threaded connection, a bayonet connection, a friction connection, or any other customary or known structure which allows this selective attachment and detachment of tip  60  to upper shaft  58 . 
         [0024]    While the description above discloses a manual, mechanical means for deploying rod  50  housed within shaft  30  and blade  40  to an extended position and a retracted position, other embodiments are contemplated. For example, rather than having a push rod as shown in  FIG. 2 , an element of rod  50  could be attached to a compressible spring device which would allow rod  50  to be housed within shaft  30  in such a way that the spring mechanism is compressed and rod  50  is held within shaft  30  and blade  40  by an alternative positioning means  37  holding rod  50  stationary. Alternative positioning means  37  would comprise a release mechanism allowing spring-loaded rod  50  to move within shaft  30  under the force of the compressed spring as the spring extends rod  50  to protrude or extend beyond paddle edge  42 . Rod  50  could be retracted by exerting force on tip  60  pushing rod  50  back into blade  40  and shaft  30  again compressing the spring mechanism and again allowing alternative positioning means  37  to hold rod  50  in place within shaft  30  and blade  40  until the next occasion upon which the user desired to deploy rod  50 . 
         [0025]    Another deploying means could include compressed gas which acts upon an alternative handle/shaft adapter  51  forcing movement of control rod  52  and its associated component parts to extend rod  50  out of blade  40  and beyond blade edge  42 . Compressed gas canisters in various forms are commonly available and could be configured to be compatible with shaft  30  such that the user was able to control the compressed gas canister for selective deployment of rod  50 . 
         [0026]    A person of ordinary skill of the art that there may be other equivalent propulsion mechanisms whether they be manual, spring-actuated, pneumatic, electrical, hydraulic, or other cabling devices which would allow a force to be exerted upon rod  50  to cause it to be extended and which would allow rod  50  to also be retracted back within blade  40  and shaft  30 . 
         [0027]    An alternative embodiment could also include a rod  50  disposed exterior along a length of shaft  30 . One such embodiment comprises a recessed channel or groove along the length of shaft  30 . Rod  50  would be disposed in the groove along shaft  30  and traverse at least a portion of blade  40  when extended and retracted by any movement of rod  50  relative to shaft  30  and blade  40 . Such movement of rod  50  along shaft  30  could be accomplished by a similar telescoping shaft configuration in which exterior rod  50  is retained in fixed relation to shaft portion  36  but allowed to slide in a channel or groove along shaft part  35 , not shown in the Figures. In this way, an extendable and retractable rod member along the outside of shaft  30  could be part of an alternative embodiment.