Superhydrophobic Fishing Rod Guide

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an improved fishing rod guide. In one embodiment the improved fishing rod includes superhydrophobic metal guides. The superhydrophobic metal guides make it possible for fishing line, including, for example, fly fishing line and conventional fishing line, to move through the guides with less weight and drag due to water and ice accumulation, allowing for significantly greater distance and ease in casting. Additionally, the decrease in friction between the fishing line and line guides help extend the life of the fishing line.

Claims

1. A fishing apparatus comprising: an elongated rod; and a guide disposed the elongated rod, wherein the guide includes a hydrophobic section on the surface of the guide.

2. The fishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic section is superhydrophobic.

3. The fishing apparatus of claim 2, where the hydrophobic section is a pattern etched into the surface of the guide.

4. The fishing apparatus of claim 2, where the hydrophobic section is a chemical coating disposed on the surface of the guide.

5. The fishing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hydrophobic section is formed by a laser treatment.

6. The fishing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hydrophobic section includes a microscale pattern.

7. The fishing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hydrophobic section includes a nanoscale pattern.

8. The fishing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hydrophobic section includes features that are between 2 nanometers to 50 nanometers in length.

9. A line guide for a fishing rod comprising: an outer surface, wherein the outer surface includes a hydrophobic section.

10. The line guide of claim 9, wherein the hydrophobic section is superhydrophobic.

11. The line guide of claim 10, where the hydrophobic section is a pattern etched into the outer surface of the guide.

12. The line guide of claim 10, where the hydrophobic section is a chemical coating disposed on the outer surface of the guide.

13. The line guide of claim 10, wherein the hydrophobic section is formed by a laser treatment.

14. The line guide of claim 10, wherein the hydrophobic section includes a microscale pattern.

15. The line guide of claim 10, wherein the hydrophobic section includes a nanoscale pattern.

16. The line guide of claim 10, wherein the hydrophobic section includes features that are between 2 nanometers to 50 nanometers in length.

17. A method of creating a superhydrophobic guide for a fishing line, comprising the steps of: forming a guide for a fishing line having a semi-circular shape and an outer surface; and creating a pattern on the exterior to create a superhydrophobic section.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of creating a pattern includes using laser-etching.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of creating a pattern includes laser patterning. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of creating includes using a femtosecond laser.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a standard fishing rod used for fly fishing.

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a tip top guide.

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a snake guide.

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a stripping guide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, a standard fishing rod 100 includes one or more guides 101 of various shapes. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a tip top guide 200 as shown in FIG. 2, a snake guide 300 as shown in FIG. 3, and a stripping guide 400 as shown in FIG. 4. In a preferred embodiment, the tip top guide, snake guide, and stripping guide are comprised of a metal, ceramic, or plastic material commonly used in fishing rods. One of ordinary skill in the art, however, will understand that the guides can be made of any material sufficiently rigid enough to allow a fishing line to pass through and hold it in place. The stripping guide includes a leg 401, heel 402, toe 403, shoulder 404, foot 405, and eye 406.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the tip top guide 200 is designed to encompass a fishing line that passes through an opening in the center. The tip top preferably includes a superhydrophobic section 201 disposed on the portion of the tip top guide that faces inward. In another preferred embodiment, the snake guide 300 is designed to encompass a fishing line that passes through an opening in the center. In another preferred embodiment, the stripping guide 400 is designed to encompass a fishing line that passes through an opening in the center. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that FIGS. 2 through 4 are representative samples of shapes of guides used on fishing rods and that various other shapes could be used so long as they allow for a fishing line to pass through and serve to position the line next to the rod.

[0020] A hydrophobic material or section is one that resists or repels water. A Superhydrophobic material or section of material is one that resists or repels water better or more efficiently (e.g., has a higher hydrophobicity) than materials commonly used in a given application and thus includes highly hydrophobic, ultrahydrophobic, and other like materials. Superhydrophobic materials include those that have been treated to create micro-scale and/or nanoscale patterns on the face of the material, such as, for example, by laser-etching or laser-patterning. Femtosecond lasers may be used in the laser-etching or laser-patterning process. One such example of a process or treatment to create superhydrophobic materials is a process developed by Dr. Chunlei Guo and Dr. A. Y. Vorobyev at the University of Rochester (2015). The process developed by Dr. Guo and Dr. Yorobyev uses femtosecond laser pulses to render metal superhydrophobic, thus making the treated surfaces “useful for [ . . . ] water/dust repelling.”

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, the guides are treated with a superhydrophobic process on the eye 407, shoulder 404, and leg 401 of the guide, as these are the components that come into direct contact with water. The heel 402, foot 405, and toe 403 of the guide (such as shown in FIG. 4) may or may not be treated, since these components do not come into contact with water. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that as more surface area is treated, the superhydrophobicity of the guide will increase and that, generally, the cost of production will also increase. Thus, a person of ordinary skill in the art will determine the areas to treat based upon factors such as, for example, the expected retail cost of the guide or fishing rod, the expected performance results of such a guide or fishing rod, and other like considerations.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, one or more of the guides is comprised of a material that can be subjected to laser treatment and has a flat or curved interior surface of sufficient area to allow the interior surface of the guide to be treated by lasers or other type of micro- or nano-sized tool. Additionally, pre-treated materials can be affixed to the guides via a number of methods known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, including, for example, adhesive, welding, or a physical connection (e.g., nail or wire harness).

[0023] Alternatively, the one or more guides are square, rectangular, or of such other such parallelogram or multiple, complex, three-dimensional shape that presents an increased overall percentage of the outer surface of the guide to laser treatment. Alternatively, the guide material can be shaped to allow for laser treatment (e.g., in a sheet) and then formed into guides after treatment. Depending upon the level of sophistication, accuracy, and precision of the laser treatment set up, the entire guide can be laser treated and thus superhydrophobic. In other embodiments, the portions of the guide that cannot be treated, for any number of mechanical or economic reasons, are rounded, chamfered or otherwise shaped or processed to reduce friction associated with the line and to reduce sharp or rough edges contacting the line.

[0024] In another preferred embodiment, the guides are made to be superhydrophobic by other means, such as, for example, being composed of a natural or synthetic material that is inherently superhydrophobic or that can be caused to be superhydrophobic or more hydrophobic with permanent or semi-permanent coatings such as, for example, Manganese oxide polystyrene (MnO2/PS), nano-composite Zinc oxide polystyrene (ZnO/PS), nano-composite precipitated calcium carbonate, Carbon nanotube structures, Silica nano-coating or other like materials.

[0025] In another preferred embodiment, the superhydrophobic fishing rod guide is a guide composed of titanium/nickel alloy. The titanium/nickel alloy guides are affixed to a 274 centimeters long fly fishing rod, in the following order, beginning at the end of the fly fishing rod intended for the reel (called “the butt” end of the rod; see FIG. 1): a stripping guide, size 12, affixed to the fly fishing rod 78 centimeters from the butt end of the rod, an American pattern snake guide affixed to the rod 103 centimeters from the butt end of the fly fishing rod; an American pattern snake guide affixed to the fly fishing rod 128 12 centimeters from the butt end of the fly fishing rod; an American pattern snake guide affixed to the fly fishing rod 154 centimeters from the butt end of the fly fishing rod, an American pattern snake guide affixed to the fly fishing rod 178 centimeters from the butt section of the rod; an American pattern snake guide affixed to the fly fishing rod 198 2 centimeters from the butt end of the fly fishing rod; an American pattern snake guide affixed to the fly fishing rod 219 12 centimeters from the butt end of the fly rod; an American pattern snake guide affixed to the fly fishing rod 237 centimeters from the butt end of the fly fishing rod; an American pattern snake guide affixed to the fly fishing rod 252 centimeters from the butt end of the fly fishing rod; an American pattern snake guide affixed to the fly fishing rod 265 2 centimeters from the butt end of the fly fishing rod; and a “tip top” guide affixed to the rod tip. In an alternative embodiment, the snake guides vary in size depending on their placement on the length and weight of the rod, but generally run from sizes 3 to 1. In another preferred embodiment, the superhydrophobic tip top guide is composed of titanium/nickel alloy in size 4.5.

[0026] Additional embodiments for the stripping guide dimensions include sizes 80 to 3.5. Similarly, additional embodiments of the snake guide dimensions (for both American pattern snake guides and English pattern snake guides) include sizes 6 to 2/0. Likewise, additional embodiments for the tip top guide include sizes 18 to 5. Furthermore, additional embodiments can be made from a wide variety of metals and materials, including stainless steel, steel, titanium, titanium alloy, nickel silver, or any other metals and materials that are durable enough to function as a fishing rod line guide.

[0027] While our aforementioned preferred embodiment is specific to fly fishing rod line guides, our invention will be used for all styles of angling and their corresponding rods, including but not limited to ice fishing rods, spinning rods, baitcasting rods, surf rods, sea rods, telescopic rods and trolling rods. These alternative embodiment of rods can have a variety of superhydrophobic line guide types, including but not limited to single foot guides, roller guides, tip top guides, and micro guides, these guides are made in a range of sizes. Finally, the spacing of any combination of the aforementioned fishing rod guide types can range substantially, as different rod lengths, thicknesses, and flexibilities demand specific line guide combinations of size, type, and spacing.