FISHING LURE

Abstract

A fishing lure may include a body and a removable lip, which may be removed manually without the use of tools by pressing on portions of the body to release a catch between the removable lip and the body.

Claims

1. A fishing lure comprising: a body formed in a shape of an aquatic creature; and a lip releasably attachable to the body, the lip and the body interacting to form a catch, and wherein pressing inwardly on a location along the body disengages the catch.

2. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the body comprises at least one projection extending inwardly from the body so as to form part of the catch.

3. The fishing lure of claim 2, wherein the at least one projection comprises a pair of projections disposed on opposing sides of the body.

4. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the lip includes at least one projection for engaging the body to retain the lip partially within the body.

5. The fishing lure of claim 4, wherein the at least one projection of the lip comprises two projections extending away from the lip in generally opposite directions.

6. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the body has at least one body arm formed therein and wherein the at least one body arm is disposed adjacent the catch formed between the body and the lip.

7. The fishing lure of claim 6, wherein the body has a body wall and wherein the lip has at least one lip arm with a projection disposed thereon, and wherein the at least one body arm engages the at least one lip arm to move the projection away from the body wall when the at least one body arm is pressed inwardly.

8. The fishing lure of claim 7, wherein the at least one body arm comprises a first body arm and a second body arm disposed on opposing sides of the body.

9. The fishing lure of claim 8, wherein the lip comprises a first lip arm having a projection disposed thereon, a second lip arm, and a third lip arm having a projection disposed thereon.

10. The fishing lure of claim 9, wherein the second lip arm have a flange formed thereon.

11. The fishing lure of claim 10, wherein the body comprises a T-shaped slot formed therein.

12. The fishing lure of claim 9, wherein the body has a fishing line loop attached thereto, and wherein the second lip arm comprises a channel for receiving the fishing line loop.

13. The fishing lure of claim 7, wherein the at least one body arm is formed in the body wall and is defined by an opening in the body wall extending around the at least one body arm.

14. The fishing lure of claim 13, wherein the at least one body arm is disposed on a forward third of the body.

15. A fishing lure comprising a body having a proximal end with a slot formed therein for receiving a removable lip and body wall formed in a shape of an aquatic creature, the body wall having a first opening formed therein to define a first body arm.

16. The fishing lure of claim 15, wherein the body wall has a second opening formed thereon generally opposite the first opening, the second opening defining a second body arm.

17. The fishing lure of claim 16, wherein the body wall further comprises a first projection extending inwardly adjacent the first body arm and a second projection extending inwardly advance the second body arm.

18. The fishing lure of claim 15, wherein the slot is generally T-shaped.

19. The fishing lure of claim 15, wherein the first body arm comprises support ridges formed thereon.

20. The fishing lure of claim 15, further comprising a removable lip, the removable lip comprising a plurality of arms and at least one projection extending from the plurality of arms for engaging the lure body to hold a portion of the lip in the lure body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

[0022] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a fishing lure with a lip inserted therein;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of the fishing lure of FIG. 1;

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the fishing lure of FIG. 1 with the lip removed;

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a front perspective view of the fishing lure of FIG. 3;

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a top, cut-away view of the fishing lure of FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a close-up of a catch system for holding the lip in the body of the fishing lure and for releasing the lip from the body;

[0029] FIG. 7 shows an alternate configuration of a catch system for holding the lip in the body of the fishing lure and for releasing the lip from the body;

[0030] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view taken through a portion of the lip adjacent the distal end thereof;

[0031] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the lip adjacent the distal end thereof;

[0032] FIGS. 10-13 show a variety of different lips which could be used with the fishing lure of FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 14 shows a fragmented, cut-away view showing the interaction of the lip and the body;

[0034] FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the body with the lip in place;

[0035] FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the body parallel to the length of the lip.

[0036] FIG. 17 shows yet another lip having a first arm and a second arm; and

[0037] FIG. 18 shows an end view of the lip of FIG. 17 showing the support structures on the first arm and second arm.

[0038] It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects. It will be appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the present disclosure in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of different aspects of the present disclosure in greater clarity. Similarly, not all configurations or embodiments described herein or covered by the appended claims will include all the aspects of the present disclosure as discussed above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Various aspects of the invention and accompanying drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The skilled artisan will understand, however, that the apparatus and methods described below can be practiced without employing these specific details, or that they can be used for purposes other than those described herein. Indeed, they can be modified and can be used in conjunction with products and techniques known to those of skill in the art in light of the present disclosure. The drawings and the descriptions thereof are intended to be exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the drawings may show aspects of the invention in isolation and the elements in one figure may be used in conjunction with elements shown in other figures.

[0040] Reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “one configuration,” “an embodiment,” or “a configuration” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment, etc. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places may not necessarily limit the inclusion of a particular element of the invention to a single embodiment, rather the element may be included in other, or all embodiments discussed herein.

[0041] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details may be provided, such as examples of products or manufacturing techniques that may be used, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that embodiments discussed in the disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations may not be shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

[0042] Before the present invention is disclosed and described in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular structures, process steps, or materials discussed or disclosed herein, but is extended to include equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those of ordinarily skill in the relevant art. More specifically, the invention is defined by the terms set forth in the claims. It should also be understood that terminology contained herein is used for the purpose of describing particular aspects of the invention only and is not intended to limit the invention to the aspects or embodiments shown unless expressly indicated as such. Likewise, the discussion of any particular aspect of the invention is not to be understood as a requirement that such aspect is required to be present apart from an express inclusion of that aspect in the claims.

[0043] It should also be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, singular forms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” may include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a bracket” may include an embodiment having one or more of such brackets, and reference to “the target plate” may include reference to one or more of such target plates.

[0044] As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result to function as indicated. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context, such that enclosing nearly all of the length of a lumen would be substantially enclosed, even if the distal end of the structure enclosing the lumen had a slit or channel formed along a portion thereof. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, structure which is “substantially free of” a bottom would either completely lack a bottom or so nearly completely lack a bottom that the effect would be effectively the same as if it completely lacked a bottom.

[0045] As used herein, the term “generally” refers to something that has characteristics of a quality without being exactly that quality. For example, a structure said to be generally vertical would be more vertical than horizontal, i.e., would extend greater than 45 degrees from horizontal. Likewise, something said to be generally circular may be rounded like an oval but need not have a consistent diameter in every direction.

[0046] As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint while still accomplishing the function associated with the range.

[0047] As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member.

[0048] Concentrations, amounts, proportions, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 to about 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, individually. This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value as a minimum or a maximum. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.

[0049] Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a side view of a fishing lure, generally indicated at 4. In one embodiment the fishing lure 4 may include a body 8 which may be formed to generally resemble an aquatic creature such as a fish, a crayfish, a frog, etc. The body 8 may include one or more eyelets 12 which may be used to attach a hook, such as a treble hook, or another body portion.

[0050] The fishing lure 4 may also include a fishing line loop 16. The fishing line loop 16 may have a first end which is attached to the body 8 (the first end being disposed inside the body in FIG. 1) and an opposing second end 20 which extends beyond and away from the body. The fishing line loop 16 may be configured to attach a fishing line 24 thereto so that the fishing line remains attached to the body 8.

[0051] Also shown in FIG. 1 is a lip 28 which may be partially inserted into the body 8 to change the performance characteristics of the body as the fishing line 24 is being reeled in. The lip 28 may include a first lip arm 32, a second lip arm (not visible in FIG. 1, and least one third lip arm 36. The first lip arm 32 may include a catch or projection which engages a structure within the body 8. The third lip arm or arms 36 may be taller or thicker than the first arm, and/or may include a flange 44, so that the third lip arm or arms 36 provide structural support to the lip 28. A third lip arm may likewise include a projection or catch for engaging a structure within the body. While described herein as there being one or more third lip arms to provide support for the lip, it will be appreciated that one or both of the first lip arm 32 and the second lip arm may have a projection or may be thicker in one dimension to provide more strength or rigidity to the lip in one direction while still allowing the first lip arm or the second lip arm to provide support without the need for the second lip arms as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.

[0052] . The body 8 may also include one or more body arms 50 which may be formed in the wall forming the body. As shown in FIG. 1, a first body arm 50 may be disposed on the side of the body in a location similar to where a gill would be positioned on a fish, i.e., spaced distally a short distance from the proximal end of the body. The body arm 50 may be formed in the body 8 by either molding or cutting one or more elongate openings 54 into the body so as to leave a portion which will flex relative to the remainder of the body. As will be explained in additional detail below, the body arm 50 may flex inwardly when pressure is applied thereto to apply pressure one of the arms on the lip to thereby release a catch between the lip 28 and the body 8 to facilitate removal of the lip from the body.

[0053] The side view shown in FIG. 1 may be the mirror image of an opposing side of the body 8 in an embodiment where a second body arm is formed in the body. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, a second body arm may not be used in the body and the opposing sidewall would be continuous.

[0054] Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown a perspective view of the body 8 and the lip 28. As can be seen more clearly, the lip 28 may include the first lip arm 32, a second lip arm 40, and one or more third lip arms 36. The one or more third lip arms 36 may be formed as a plurality of arms spaced apart from one another or may be a single arm which may include a channel 58 for receiving the fishing line loop 16. It will be appreciated that in many fishing lures having lips, bills or bibs, the fishing line is attached to an eyelet disposed on the lip, etc., to give the lure the desired play in the water. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the fishing line loop 16 extends proximally from the lure body 8 so that the end of the fishing line loop to which the fishing line attached is dispose out over the lip 28, etc. However, because the fishing line loop 16 may be attached to the body 8 directly, no strain is placed on the lip 28 by tension on the fishing line.

[0055] The body arm 50 may be formed by the opening 54 which extends approximately around three sides of the body arm so that the body arm may remain attached at one end. This allows the body arm 50 to pivot inwardly when force is applied thereto. Ridges 60 may be formed on the body arm 50 for reinforcement, or as mere decoration. The ridges may also provide a person using the lure with a tactile indication of when his or her fingers are disposed on the arm so force can be applied to release the lip 28 from the body 8.

[0056] When using a fishing lure 4 such as that shown, the person fishing will usually hold the fishing lure on the opposing sides to keep his or her hands from contacting the hooks (usually treble hooks) attached to the eyelets 12. As will be explained below in additional detail, pressing inwardly on the body arm(s) 50 with sufficient pressure deflects one or both of the lip arms 32 and 40 inwardly and releases a catch mechanism formed between the body 8 and the arms of the lip 28, thereby allowing the lip 28 to be pulled out of the body.

[0057] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a side view and a perspective view, respectively, of the body 8 with the lip 28 having been removed so that another lip (see e.g., FIGS. 10-13) can be inserted and thereby change the action of the fishing lure (such as depth at which the lure travels based on the speed at which the lure is reeled in, or how much side-to-side movement the lure provides as it “swims.”) It will be appreciated that numerous attempts have been made to provide a removable lip because of the time lost during fishing if one has to repeatedly attach a new fishing lure to the fishing line. The present invention allows a person fishing to change the lip 28 within seconds without the use of tools and while ensuring the lip 28 is securely attached to the body 8 while fishing.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 4, a generally T-shaped slot 66 may be formed in the proximal end 8a of the body 8 to facilitate the insertion of a lip 28 into the body. Depending on the shape of the lip arms 32, 36, 40, the slot 66 may also have other shapes. The slot 66 may allow the lip 28 to have reinforcement so that the lip is less likely to break if swallowed by a fish or caught in aquatic vegetation or on a rock. The formation of the lip arms 32, 36 and 40 is discussed in additional detail with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0059] To add a lip 28 to the body 8, the user need simply grab the lip 28 and insert the distal ends of the lip arms 32, 36, 40 into slot 66. The lip 28 may be advanced until a catch mechanism is engaged. As shown in FIG. 4, the catch mechanism may include projections 70 which extend outwardly from the first lip arm 32 and the second lip arm 40. As the lip is advanced, the first lip arm 32 and second lip arm 40 may defect inwardly (i.e., toward the longitudinal axis of the lip) so that the projections 70 may pass by a catch within the body 8. Once the projections 70 pass the catch, the first lip arm 32 and the second lip arm 40 will bias the projections outwardly to maintain engagement with the catch and prevent accidental removal of the lip 28.

[0060] Turning now to FIG. 5, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the body 8 with a lip 28 inserted therein. The distal end of the lip 28 may be inserted into the slot 66 and advanced so that the projections 70 extend into the openings 54 and catch against the body wall that defines the opening and thereby secure the lip in the body. To release the lip 28 from the body, the body arms 50 can be pressed inwardly causing the first and second lip arms 32 and 40 to deflect inwardly and removing the projections 70 from the opening 54. This allows the lip 28 to be removed from the body 8 and a new lip inserted into the body and advanced until the projections on that lip nest in the openings 54.

[0061] FIG. 6 shows a close-up view of an embodiment wherein the first and second lip arms 32 and 40 each have a projection 70, and the body 8 having projections 74 which extend inwardly from the body wall so that once the projections 70 on the first and second lip arms 32 and 40 pass the projections 74 extending inwardly from the body 8, the first and second lip arms 32 and 40 return to their ambient condition (or close thereto) and flat sides of the protections 70 on the first and second lip arms engage a relatively flat side of the projections extending 74 from the body 8, thereby forming a catch. To release the catch, the body arms 50 are pressed inwardly toward the projections 70 on the first and second lip arms 32 and 40 until the projections 70 are pushed inwardly of the projections 74 on the body 8 and the lip 28 can be pulled out of the body.

[0062] FIG. 7 shows a close up of a body 8 which may have one or more projections 74 extending inwardly from the body. Rather than having outwardly extending projections (such as 70 in FIG. 6) which abut against the projections 74 extending inwardly from the body, the lip arms 32 and 40 may each have a recess 78 which receives the body projections 74 and thereby forms a catch to hold the lip 28 in place. To release the lip 28, the body arms 50 are pressed on so they pivot inwardly and engage the lip arms 32 and 40 to push the lip arms inwardly until the body projections 74 are no longer disposed in the recesses 78 in the lip arms. The catch formed by the body projections 74 being disposed in the recesses 78 in the first and second lip arms 32 and 40 provides for a secure retention of the lip in the body 8. It facilitates a toolless release of the lip 28 from the body and allows gripping of the body 8 in a location away from the hooks and in a position naturally used to hold the body. A lip 28 may be changed in a matter of seconds without requiring replacement of the lure 4 on the fishing line 24 until the body arms 50 are pressed inwardly a sufficient distance that the body projections 74 are no longer in the recesses 78.

[0063] In some embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 8, the distal portion of the lip 28 may be formed by three lip arms 32, 36 and 40. The first lip arm 32 may include an arm projection 70 for forming part of the catch. The second lip arm 40 may also include an arm projection 70 for forming part of the catch. The third lip arm 36 may include a channel 58 for receiving the fishing line loop 16.

[0064] In other embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 9, the distal portion of the lip 28 may include a first lip arm 32 (which may include an arm projection, or a recess as discussed with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7) a pair of third lip arms 36, each of which may have a flange 80 to provide additional rigidity thereto, and a second arm 40 which may include another arm projection or a recess to engage a body projection as discussed above. Of course, the fishing line loop 16 may be disposed between the pair of second arms or may be configured so it remains above all of the arms.

[0065] Turning now to FIGS. 10-13, there are shown different lips 28 which may be inserted into the body to change the action of the fishing lure while being used. The smaller lip 28a is likely to create a shallower dive as the lure is reeled in. The middle lip 28b in FIG. 11 will likely create a deeper dive than smaller lip 28a, but not as deep as the larger lip 28c in FIG. 12. The larger rounded lip 28d in FIG. 13 will create a deep dive and more side-to-side movement of the lure as it is reeled in.

[0066] Turning now to FIG. 14, there is shown a fragmented, side cut-away view of the proximal end of the body 8 of the fishing lure. A lip 28 is disposed partially within the body 8 and the second arm 40 and third arm 36 are visible. The cut-away has removed the portion of the body 8 holding the body arm and the projection on the body which engages with the projection 70 on the second arm 40 to form the catch. It will be appreciated that the projection 70 may come to a sharp point of may be rounded along the outside edge thereof.

[0067] FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the body 8 taken just behind the body arms 50 which may have arm projections 84 which extend inwardly toward a middle of the body 8 so as to be positioned adjacent the projections 70 on the first and second arms 32 and 40. As shown in FIG. 15, the arm projections 84 have a concave face 88 which generally matches a convex face 92 along the projections. When the body arms 50 are pushed inwardly, the body arm projections 84 move inwardly and engage the projections 70 on the lip arms 32 and 40 to disengage the projections 70 on the arms from projections within the body (not visible) to thereby release the catch and allow the lip to be withdrawn.

[0068] Also shown in FIG. 15 is the third arm 36 of the lip 28. The third arm 36 is longer than the first and second arms 32 and 40 and is thus shown in cross-section. In this particular view, the third arm 36 is generally U-shaped to add thickness and thus support to the lip 28.

[0069] FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the body 8 taken generally parallel to the lip 28. The view shows the body arm projections 84 disposed on the body arms 50, as well as the engagement between the concave face 88 of the body arm projections 84 and the convex face 92 on the projections 70 disposed on the first and second arms 32 and 40 of the lip 28. It will be appreciated that the body arm projections 84 may have convex or flat faces, as can the projections 70 on the first and second arms 32 and 40 of the lip. Also visible in FIG. 16 are the projections 74 on the body 8 which engage the projections 70 on the first and second arms 32 and 40 of the lip 28 to form a catch. Pushing inwardly on the body arms 50 moves the projections 74 inwardly, thereby deflecting the first and second arms 32 and 40 toward the longitudinal axis, thereby allowing the projections 70 on the arms to pass by the projections 74 on the body 8 and the lip 28 to be removed. The third arm 36 of the lip 28 is also visible.

[0070] Turning now to FIGS. 17 and 18, there is shown a top view and an end view, respectively, of a lip 28 having a first lip arm 32 and a second arm 40. The lip arms 32 and 40 may each have a projection 70 to engage projections on the body (not shown) to form a catch and hold the lip in the body. The lip arms 32 and 40 may also include protrusions or flanges 44 which extend downwardly to provide additionally rigidity to the lip arms 32 and 40 vertically while still allowing the arms to be deflected inwardly so that the projections 70 can move passed the projections in the body when desired.

[0071] Thus, there is disclosed a fishing lure with a removable lip. It will be appreciated that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications.