Abstract:
A fishing rod having a motorized vibrator secured to a floating rod blank. The rod blank is substantially displaced from the bore of a handle. A ferrule switch mounted to a suspended portion of the handle contains a battery power source that is manipulated as a switch contact. A vibrator includes a motor and eccentric weight and is supported to the rod blank forward of the handle and responsively vibrates the rod blank for controlled periods and/or frequencies and a supported fishing line and lure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to fishing rods and, in particular, to a rod blank suspended within a rod handle and having a ferrule switch mounted to the rod handle and a vibrator mounted to the rod blank to induce vibrating movement to a suspend fishing line and lure. 
   A common fishing technique is to jig a rod up and down from several inches to several feet in a preferred sequence to cause a suspended lure to correspondingly rise and fall with a fluttering action that initiates an injured prey species. Such movements attract fish and can induce active or feeding fish to strike. A variety of devices have therefore been developed to support and jig or manipulate a fishing rod up and down, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,401,380; 4,251,939; 4,100,695; 4,020,582. 
   A variety of other devices have been developed to jig or manipulate a fishing line up and down, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,821,948; 4,528,767; 4,420,900; 4,349,978; 4,120,112; 3,981,095; 3,789,534; 3,600,837; 2,908,103; 2,783,576; and 2,746,198. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,501 discloses a battery-powered device that simultaneously vibrates the rod blank and a suspended fishing line. 
   Although active jigging actions can be productive with active, feeding fish, a continuing problem is enticing a neutral or generally inactive fish into striking a presented bait. A neutral fish may merely swim in place and inspect the lure or bait. On such occasions, a fisherman can sometimes manually manipulate the lure with subtle vibrations, and/or with subtle changes to the lure&#39;s elevation, to induce a strike. 
   The present invention was developed to provide a modular assembly that can be adapted to any fishing rod, although finds particular application with relatively short ice fishing rods. Preferably the rod is constructed with a floating rod blank; that is, the rod blank is substantially free to move and vibrate within a support handle. A ferrule switch mounts to a suspended portion of the handle and within which a battery power source is manipulated as a switch contact. A motor and a driven eccentric weight are supported to the rod blank forward of the handle to induce vibration in the rod blank, line and suspended lure. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a primary object of the invention to provide a modularly configured, vibrating fishing rod. 
   It is further object of the invention to provide a fishing rod wherein the rod blank mounts in substantial floating suspension to the handle. 
   It is further object of the invention to provide a ferrule switch assembly that attaches to a rod handle and manipulates a battery power source as a switch contact. 
   It is a further object of the invention to provide a vibrator having a motor and eccentric weight in a housing having a clip fastener that attaches to the rod blank. 
   It is a further object of the invention to provide a switch having timing control over the vibrator whereby a fisherman can select desired periods of operation. 
   The foregoing objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention are obtained in a presently preferred ice fishing rod. The rod blank is mounted in substantial, concentric, floating suspension to a bore of the handle and is minimally secured to the handle at a proximal end. A two-piece, ferrule switch housing is fitted to a fore-end of the rod handle and a battery power source is spring biased as a switch contact. A motor and driven eccentric weight are supported in a housing having a clip fastener that attaches to the rod blank distal of the handle. The separation between the motor and anchor point of the rod blank to the handle are selected to enhance rod blank vibrations. Selective manual manipulation of the fishing rod and operation of the switch enhance lure presentation for active and neutral fish. 
   Still other objects, advantages, distinctions and constructions and combinations of individual features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description with respect to the appended drawings. Similar components and assemblies are referred to in the various drawings with similar alphanumeric reference characters. The description therefore should not be literally construed in limitation of the invention. Rather, the invention should be interpreted within the broad scope of the further, appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a fishing rod wherein the handle section of the fishing rod is outfitted with a ferrule switch and a motorized vibrator. 
       FIG. 2  is a longitudinal cross section drawing through the handle section of the fishing rod of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective drawing shown from the top in exploded assembly to the ferrule switch and vibrator motor of the fishing rod of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective drawing shown from the bottom in exploded assembly to the ferrule switch of the fishing rod of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective drawing shown in exploded assembly to an open water fishing rod with a motorized vibrator attached to the tip of the rod blank. 
       FIG. 6  is a detailed perspective drawing to the tip of a fishing rod and the fitting of the conductor to the motorized vibrator forward of the end tip. 
   

   Like components at the drawings are referenced with like alphanumeric reference characters. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective drawing is shown to a typical ice fishing rod  2 .  FIG. 5  shows an open water fishing rod. The principal difference between ice rods and open water rods is rod length. Ice fishing rods typically extend 24-inches to 48-inches, whereas open freshwater water rods are much longer and can extend 5-feet to 10-feet. Shore fishing rods (e.g. telescoping poles might extend 15-feet to 20-feet. Saltwater rod length varies depending upon the species and fishing technique (e.g. shore or boat). 
   The rod  2 , regardless of length, consists of a tapered rod blank  4  that is mounted to a handle  6 . The rod blank  4  can be constructed of a variety of conventional fiberglass, graphite and composite materials. A number of line guides  8  are secured to the blank  4  with windings of wrapped thread that are sealed with an epoxy. A pair of annular rings secure a fishing reel  11  containing a length of fishing line  9  to the handle  6 . The reel  11  can vary in construction (e.g. open or closed face spin casting, bait casting etc.) depending upon the type of handle  6  and eyes  8  provided at the rod  4 . The reel  11  can also be secured directly to the handle  6  with tape (e.g. as with the fishing rod of  FIG. 5 ) or at a pre-formed reel seat having at least one sliding collar piece to restrain the reel  11  to the handle  6 . 
   A ferrule switch assembly  12  is secured to the fore-end of the handle  6  and a motorized vibrator  14  is mounted to the rod blank  4  approximately 6 to 12-inches from the switch  12 . One or more wrapped conductors  16  extend between the switch  12  and vibrator  14  and/or the conductor  16  can provide a sheath that includes multiple conductors. The length of the conductors  16  can be varied as desired to obtain a desired separation (i.e. lever arm) between the vibrator  14  and an anchoring point of the rod blank  4  to the handle  6 ; the greater the separation between the vibrator  14  and anchor point, the larger the period of oscillating movement at the lure. The conductors  16  can be wrapped about the blank  4  or might mount within the blank  4 . Conductive stripes might also be adhered or plated onto the blank or conductors even be cast into the rod blank  4 . 
   A pushbutton  18  is conveniently located in relation to the handle  4  and is normally mounted forward of the open-face spinning reel  11  to permit the selective actuation of the vibrator  14  in relation to normal fishing actions. For example, the line  9  and a suspended lure of preferred size and color can be vibrated between intermittent jigging actions to cause the lure to vibrate as it falls and flutters. Alternatively, the line  9  and lure might only be vibrated when the lure is held suspended at a constant depth. The jigging action and vibration can thus be selectively tailored by the fisherman to the existing fishing conditions and each fish. 
   With attention to  FIGS. 2 through 4 , details are apparent to the construction and operation of the ferrule switch  12  and vibrator  14 . The switch  12  includes upper and lower cover pieces  20  and  22  that snap together over the fore end of the handle  6 . The pushbutton  18  is constructed of an exposed rubber piece  24  that is fitted to a cap  26 . The negative terminal of a DC watch-type battery  28  is supported by the rubber piece  24  in contact with a resilient, arcuately bent portion  30  of a positive contact terminal  32 . The bent terminal portion  30  elevates the battery  28  above a negative contact terminal  34  and resiliently biases movement of the battery  28 . 
   The conductors  16  connect the contact terminals  32  and  34  to the vibrator  14 . Depression of the rubber piece  24  depresses the battery  28  until the sidewall of the positive “+” battery terminal contacts the terminal  34  which causes current to flow to the vibrator  14  so long as contact is maintained. A switch action is thus obtained with minimal parts that might be affected by a cold and/or moist marine environment. It is to be appreciated that relays and/or timing circuits (e.g. multi-position switches or a potentiometer) can be included at the switch  12  to provide several discrete continuous or intermittent or variable vibrating motions and/or initiate other electronic functions. 
     FIG. 3  depicts a potentiometer based timer controller  35  that might be included at the switch  12 . The type of control coupled to the switch  12  can be varied to accommodate the associated timer and/or frequency control circuitry mounted between the covers  20  and  22  to establish a preferred period and frequency of operation of the motor  56 . That is, the circuitry can control the period of operation of the motor and/or the speed of motor rotation. A conventional pushbutton might also be substituted for the present pushbutton  18 . 
   Pronged tangs  36  and  37  at the lower cover  20  project and mate with flanged cavities  38  and  39  in the upper cover  22 . Gussets  40  and  41  project from the lower and upper covers  20  and  22  to maintain the proper alignment of the cover pieces  20  and  22 . Recessed channels  42  and  44  are defined to assure that the covers  20  and  22  do not contact the rod blank  4 . 
   With attention to FIG.  2  and also  FIG. 4 , the rod blank  4  is concentrically displaced at the handle  6  from a core piece  46 . That is, a space  48  is provided that extends substantially the entire length of the handle  6 . Similarly, the rod blank  4  is displaced from the ferrule switch  12 . A suitable material is mounted over the core piece  46 , such as cork or foam sleeve  50  that is gripped by the fisherman. The rod blank  4  is secured with a suitable filler piece  52  that is concentrically mounted in the space  48  and bound with an epoxy to the core piece  46  over approximately the last 25% of the handle  6 . 
   The blank  4  is thus free to oscillate in the gap or core space  48  that is provided in the handle  6 . An enhanced lever arm is thus obtained between the motorized vibrator  14  and the anchoring filler piece  52  that is not available with conventional fishing rods, and wherein the handles are anchored over there entire length, particularly at the fore and aft ends, to the rod blank  4 . 
   The vibrator  14  is shown in exploded assembly at FIG.  3 . The vibrator  14  consists of housing sections  54  and  55  that surround a motor  56  and an eccentric weight  58  secured to the drive shaft of the motor  56 . An open sided channel piece or “C”-shaped clip  60  secures the vibrator  14  to the rod blank  4 . Rotation of the eccentric weight  58  induces oscillations in the rod blank  4 , which oscillations are exaggerated by the relatively long lever arm due to the unsupported mounting of the rod blank  4  inside the handle  6 . That is, the additional length of unsupported rod blank  4  between the vibrator  14  and filler piece  52  produces movements of a supported bait or lure of ⅛ to ½-inch depending upon the length of the rod blank  4 . Without the increased lever arm length in the handle  6 , such as merely mounting the motor  56  to a conventional rod blank  4  that is rigidly secured over the full length of a handle  6 , the oscillations would be relatively tight and not cause a supported bait to discernibly move to and fro. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6  depict alternative mountings of a motorized vibrator  14  to the tip or fore-end of a typical open water fishing rod  3 . The vibrator  14  is shown secured to the rod blank  4  aft and slightly forward of the forward most line guide  8 . In lieu of providing a conductor  16  that extends along the relatively long exterior surface of the blank  4 , the conductor  16  extends beneath the handle  6  and through the bore of the hollow rod blank  4 . In particular, the conductor  16  extends along the space  48  and through a channel  64  formed at the filler piece  52 . The conductor  16  is then routed into the bore of the blank  4  and out the tip of the blank  4 . The integrity of the blank  4  is thereby not compromised such as by boreholes to accommodate conductor routing, which can be especially problematic if let into the tip section as alternatively shown at the rod tip in  FIG. 5. A  butt cap  66  is typically fitted to cover the end of the handle  6 . 
   While the invention has been described with respect to presently preferred combinational assemblies and considered improvements or alternatives thereto, still other assemblies and arrangements may be suggested to those skilled in the art. It is also to be appreciated that the foregoing vibrator and ferrule switch can be used singularly or can be arranged in different combinations with any type of fresh water and salt water spin casting, bait casting rods and even fly casting rods to provide a variety of improved rods. The vibrator  14  may also be mounted within the bore of relatively large diameter saltwater rod blanks. The battery may also be secured to the rod without acting as a switch contact. The foregoing description should therefore be construed to include all those embodiments within the spirit and scope of the following claims.