FISHING BUCKET

SEAU POUR ALEVINS DE PECHE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present invention provides a container assembly
for receiving fishing minnows and the like. The assembly
comprises an outer bucket, a removeable like for sealing
the bucket, a handle for carrying the bucket and a
strainer basket for fitting inside the bucket. The
strainer basket has a pair of handle portions which are
detachable from one another and which can be moved to an
out of the way position for gaining access into the
basket.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A container assembly for receiving fishing minnows and
the like, said assembly comprising an outer bucket, a removable
lid for sealing said bucket, handle means for carrying said
bucket, and a strainer basket for fitting inside said bucket,
said strainer basket having a pair of handle portions adapted
to detachably engage one another, said handle portions when
engaged providing a handle for lifting of said basket from said
bucket and when detached from one another being moveable to an
out of the way position for gaining access into said basket;
said bucket, lid and basket are all being formed of plastic,
said handle portions on said basket having a memory for
springing to an upstanding position to either side of said
basket when detached from one another and being resiliently
bendable to engage with one another folded across said basket.
2. A container assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein
said lid is threadably fitted to said bucket, said handle means
comprising a fixed handle atop said lid in a balanced position
for carrying said container assembly.
3. A container assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein
said bucket and said lid are insulated for use of said
container assembly in winter ice fishing conditions.
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4. A container assembly as claimed in Claim 1 including
a locking arrangement comprising male and female locking means
for detachably engaging said handle portions, said male locking
means being located on an inner surface of one of said handle
portions so as to protrude downwardly through said female
locking means to enhance locking of said locking arrangement by
weight of said basket when said handle portions are engaged
with one another.
5. A container assembly as claimed in Claim 2 wherein
said bucket has a threaded exterior for receiving threads on
said lid isolated from splashing within said bucket.
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Description

1 FIELD_OF_THE_INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container
assembly comprising an outer bucket and an inner basket
particularly suitable for use by ice fishermen for
receiving fishing minnows.
BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION
According to conventional practice most ice
fishermen carry their minnows in a water filled plastic
bag. These plastic bags are oEten subject to damage
resulting in loss of the minnows. In order to retrieve
the minnows from the bag, one must generally have to
place his or her hands into the icy cool water within the
bag to retreive the minnows.
SUMMA_Y_OF_TaE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container
assembly for mitigating the problems described above.
The container assembly of the present invention which is
particularly suitable for receiving fishing minnows and
the like comprises an outer protective bucket, a
removeable lid for sealing the bucket, handle means for
carrying the bucket and a strainer basket for fitting
inside the bucket. The strainer basket has a pair of
handle portions adapted to detachably engage one another
for lifting the basket from the bucket to strain the
water while trapping the minnows in the basket.
accordingly one does not have to put his or her hands
into the icy cold water in order to retreive the minnows.
When the handle portions are detached Erom one
another they are moveable to an out of the way position
for readily gaining access to the interior of the basket
once it has been removed from the bucket.
'I

1 BRIEF_DISCUSSION_OF THE _RAWINGS
The above as well as other advantages and features
of the present invention will be described in greater
detail according to the preferred embodiments of the
present invention in which:
Figure 1 i5 an exploded and partially section
edperspective view of a container assembly holding a bag
of minnows according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
Figure 2 is an assembled sectional view of the
assembly of Figure 1 with the bag removed and the minnows
placed directly in the interior basket of the assembly;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the assembly with
the lid removed and the basket being lifted from the
bucket; and
Figure is a perspective view looking down on the
basket from the container assembly of Figures 1 through 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREE~ERRED EMBODIMENTS
________ __ ___________ __________________________
Figure 1 shows a container assembly generally
indicated at 1 carrying a minnow bag MB. As de.scribed
above in accordance with conventional practice such
minnow bags are generally carried in an unprotected
manner where they are exposed to damage resulting in
either leaking of the water or loss of the minnows from
the bag.
However, in accordance with the present invention
the minnow bag is carried in a protected manner within a
bucket 3 having an open upper end 7 which is sealed by
means of a lid 11. Bucket 3 includes threads 9 which
mate with threads 13 on the lid for complete sealing of

1 the interior contents of the bucket. These threads are
set up in a manner to enhance easy alignment of the
threading action of the lid into the bucket.
In this particular application bucket 3 and lid 11
are specifically adapted for ice flshing purposes.
Accordingly the bucket has an insulated wall 5 extending
both around and at the base of the bucket. As is well
shown in the drawings lid 11 is also insulated to prevent
Ereezing of both the water and the minnows in the minnow
bag when it is located within the interior of the bucket.
Lid 11 is provided with a tubular handle 15 which is
fixed centralLy across the top of the lid and widened at
its ends for strengthening of the handle at the
attachment to the lid This handle which has a rounded
cross-section for comfort provides for a very easy
balanced carrying of the overall container assembly. As
can be seen in t'ne drawings, threads 9 are located to the
outside of the bucket for receiving the lid. With this
arrangement the water inside the bucket cannot splash up
into the threads which might otherwise result in freezing
of the lid to the bucket.
Also provided as part of the assembly is a strainer
basket 17 which fits within the bucket as shown in
Figures 1 through 3 and which is removeable from the
bucket as shown in Figure I. This strainer bucket is
provided with a pair of handle portions 19 and 23 which
are adapted to engage with one another as shown in
Figures 2 and 3 to form a handle for the strainer
basket. These hand:Le portions include a locking
arrangement generalLy inclicated at 22 in Figures 2 and 3

2~3~
1 which comprises male studs on handle 19 and female
receptacles on handle 25. As will be seen in all of the
figures the male studs are located on the inner surface
of handle portion 19 so that when the two handle portions
ar engaged with one another they project downwardly
through the female recesses or openings 25. With this
arrangement the weight of the basket when lifted from the
bucket tends to enhance locking action of the studs in
the recesses.
The locking arrangement described above is one which
can be readily released by pushing downwardly on handle
portion 25 to release the studs from the recesses. The
handle portions as well as the overall basket are formed
from a resilient plastic material which has a memory to
cause them, once released, to automatically spring to the
upstanding position on opposite sides of the basket as
shown in Figures 1 and 4.
On route to the fishing site the minnow bag with
oxygen and minnows trapped therein is placed within the
basket in the bucket and sealed by the lid. Once the
fishermen gets to the cite, the minnows and the water are
dumped from the bag directly into the basket. As will be
appreciated, the out of the way positioning of the handle
portions on the basket as shown in Figures 1 and
enables easy access to the interior of the basket for
moving the minnow bag in and out of place.
Once the minnows and water have been dumped into the
interior of the assembly the handle portions are folded
inwardly across the top of the basket and engage with one
another. If one wishes to then retrieve a minnow the

12~
1 basket i5 simply lifted from the bucket by its handle to
strain the water with the minnows still trapped within
the basket. Therefore the minnows are easily retrieved
without having to place one's hands in the chilly water
which remains trapped within the confines of the bucket
itself. If necessary the handle of the basket can again
be released to allow the handle portions to automatically
spring to the upright position for gaining access to the
interior of the basket where the minnows are trapped.
For purposes of enhancing the portability of the
assembly the bucket and lid may also be made of a light
weight hollow plastic material which has both insulating
properties and structural integrity.
It is to be appreciated that the container assembly
can be used for other purposes such as for example, open
water rather than ice fishing where minnows again would
be enclosed within the assembly and sealed against loss
even should the assembly be in an inadvertantly tipped or
knocked over.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
present invention have been described herein in detail it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
variations may be made thereto without departing fro the
spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended
claims .