Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BAIT CONTAINER
The present invention relates generally to the field of fishing, particularly
crustacean fishing. When fishing for crustaceans, a trap is generally used
into which
crustaceans enter and become entangled or trapped therein. Bait is placed
within the trap
to attract the crustaceans.
The present invention generally provides a bait container having sections for
holding bait, which are separated by water soluble material. The bait
container is lowered
into the water, and has at least one section of the bait accessible to the
catch. The water
soluble material then degrades over a period of time thereby permitting at
least another
section of bait to become accessible to the catch. The invention therefore
provides a
means to prolong the useful life of the bait, particularly bait for
crustaceans such as
lobsters and crabs.
The problem of providing a bait container made of water soluble materials
which
can optionally provide for both the slow release of bait, for long-term
fishing, or provide
immediate release of the bait is one of long standing, which has hitherto yet
been
satisfactorily solved. For example, United States Patent No. 4,823,499
describes a bait
container which can be used for the slow release of bait, and which is
particularly suited
for use in traps such as lobster pots. Bait for crustacea or fish is supported
in an elastic
casing having orifices therein, to allow bait to be accessed by the catch. It
is preferred that
the bait be combined with water to form blocks of ice. These blocks of ice are
then
inserted into the container and melt, thereby gradually exposing and releasing
bait through
the holes of the container. However, such a bait container does not describe
nor suggest
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a bait container possessing separate sections housing bait, each of which are
separated
from one another by a water soluble material. There is also no mention of a
bait container
having a peel back flap, which allows for the immediate release of the bait.
United States Patent No. 2,607,155 teaches a bait container which allows for
the slow release of bait. A net is filled with bait and is lowered into the
water. The
configuration of the net is such that, when the bait is filled and the net is
lowered into the
water, bait near the bottom of the net is "milked out" slowly. However, there
is no
recognition nor discussion of a bait container which possess separate sections
for housing
bait, each of which are separated from one another by a water soluble
material.
Accordingly, there is a need for a bait container made of water soluble
material
between the bait, which can optionally provide for a slow release of the bait
for long term
fishing, by immersing the bait container in water to degrade slowly, or
immediate release
of the bait, through removal of a peel back flap on the bait container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a bait container
for
fishing which provides for a gradual time release of the bait for long term
fishing. Another
object of the present invention is to provide convenience for the fisherman,
whereby the
fisherman can optionally select between a slow release of the bait for long
term fishing, or
immediate release of the bait.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a bait
container comprising a housing having an opening thereto covered by a flap; a
bait section
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inside the housing; and an inner layer of water soluble material restricting
access to the
bait section, wherein the housing houses the bait section and the inner layer
of water
soluble material therein, whereby, prior to immersion of the bait container in
water, the flap
is torn open to expose the opening and allow access to the inner layer of
water soluble
material in the bait container, and whereby, following deployment of the bait
container by
immersion in the water, the inner layer of water soluble material later
degrades under the
effect of the water to expose the bait section to crustacea or fish.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
bait
container comprising a housing having an opening thereto covered by a flap; a
bait section
inside the housing adapted to hold bait; and an inner layer of water soluble
material
restricting access to the bait section, wherein the housing houses the bait
section and the
inner layer of water soluble material therein, whereby, prior to immersion of
the bait
container in water, the flap is torn open to expose the opening and allow
access to the
inner layer of water soluble material in the bait container, and whereby,
following
deployment of the bait container by immersion in the water, the inner layer of
water soluble
material later degrades under the effect of the water to expose the bait
section to
crustacea or fish.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a bait
container comprising a housing having an opening thereto covered by a flap; a
first bait
section adapted to hold bait, the first bait section having a first inner
layer of water soluble
material restricting access to the first bait section; a second bait section
adapted to hold
bait, the second bait section having a second inner layer of water soluble
material
restricting access to the second bait section; and a partition to separate the
first bait
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section and the second bait section, wherein the housing houses the bait
sections and the
inner layers of water soluble material therein, whereby, prior to immersion of
the bait
container in water, the flap is torn open to expose the opening and allow
access to the
inner layers of water soluble material in the bait container, and whereby,
following
deployment of the bait container by immersion in the water, the inner layers
of water
soluble material later degrade under the effect of the water to expose the
bait sections to
crustacea or fish.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
bait
container comprising a housing having an opening thereto covered by an outer
layer of
water soluble material; a bait section inside the housing; an inner layer of
water soluble
material restricting access to the bait section, wherein the housing houses
the bait section
and the inner layer of water soluble material therein, whereby the outer layer
of water
soluble material slowly degrades following deployment of the bait container by
immersion
in water to expose the opening and allow access to the inner layer of water
soluble material
in the bait container, and whereby the inner layer of water soluble material
progressively
degrades under the effect of the water to expose the bait in the bait section
to crustacea
or fish.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided
a bait
container comprising a housing having an opening thereto covered by an outer
layer of
water soluble material; a bait section inside the housing which is adapted to
hold bait; and
an inner layer of water soluble material restricting access to the bait
section, wherein the
housing houses the bait section and the inner layer of water soluble material
therein,
whereby the outer layer of water soluble material slowly degrades following
deployment
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of the bait container by immersion in water to expose the opening and allow
access to the
inner layer of water soluble material in the bait container, and whereby the
inner layer of
water soluble material progressively degrades under the effect of the water to
expose the
bait in the bait section to crustacea or fish.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided
a bait
container comprising a housing having an opening thereto covered by an outer
layer of
water soluble material; a first bait section adapted to hold bait, the first
bait section having
a first inner layer of water soluble material restricting access to the first
bait section; a
second bait section adapted to hold bait, the second bait section having a
second inner
layer of water soluble material restricting access to the second bait section;
and a partition
to separate the first bait section and the second bait section, wherein the
housing houses
the bait sections and the inner layers of water soluble material therein,
whereby the outer
layer of water soluble material slowly degrades following deployment of the
bait container
by immersion in water to expose the opening and allow access to the inner
layers of water
soluble material in the bait container, and whereby the inner layers of water
soluble
material progressively degrade under the effect of the water to expose the
bait in the bait
sections to crustacea or fish.
The bait container may be of any suitable size and shape in order to be used
as desired, though preferably the bait container is self-contained. Exemplary
dimensions
of a preferred embodiment of the bait container of the present invention are
as follows:
widths at the base of the bait container 3'h in. by 3'h in., height 10 in. to
the top of the
container including the triangular top section. For deep off shore fishing, it
is conceivable
that a larger size of bait container be used, should the need arise for larger
portions of bait
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to be used in the bait container. Preferably, the bait container of the
present invention is
positioned within a fishing trap, for example, by being placed on the spike of
a lobster trap,
and is lowered and immersed into the water when the weight of the trap allows
the trap
(and bait container positioned therein) to descend in the water.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a flap is provided on the
exterior of the bait container which may be peeled off the bait container
before lowering
into the water. The flap may comprise, in a preferred embodiment, serrated
perforations
formed on an exterior surface of the container, and which outline an opening
to the interior
thereof. The flap may be grabbed by a user and torn along the perforations,
thus revealing
the opening to the interior bait sections of the bait container. By providing
a flap for the
container, the contents within the bait container are protected prior to use.
When the flap
is removed, at least one section of bait is immediately accessible to the
catch, and the bait
container is ready for lowering into the water. Should there be more than one
bait section
in the bait container, then, over time, the additional water soluble material
within the bait
container, which restricts access to the additional bait sections therein,
will degrade in the
water, for instance over a period of approximately twelve hours, thereby
permitting the
additional sections of bait to progressively become accessible to the catch.
The bait container of the present invention also comprises at least one bait
section inside the container adapted to hold bait, and the bait sections may
be of various
configurations within the bait container. The bait used in the bait sections
may be, for
example, salt bait, fresh bait or frozen bait. Several bait sections may also
be provided in
the bait container, these being separated from one another inside the
container by, for
example, cardboard dividers, so as to separate the bait sections into layers
(levels) within
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the bait container. In such a configuration, preferably the flap may be tom
enough along
the exterior of the container to reveal each bait section layered within the
container, though
individual bait sections (and the bait therein) are separated from immediate
exposure to
the water surrounding the container by the water soluble material which forms
a temporary
seal between the bait and the water allowed into contact with the water
soluble material
when the flap is torn. This water soluble material then degrades, over time,
in the water,
eventually allowing access to the bait. Preferably however, there is at least
one bait
section wherein bait is immediately exposed to the potential catch upon
tearing of the flap.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an opening on the exterior
surface of the bait container is provided, and an outer layer of water soluble
material is also
provided so as to outline and cover the immediate area around this opening
allowing
access to the interior of the bait container. In this way, the bait container
and its contents
therein are protected prior to use, and upon initial immersion in the water.
When the bait
container is placed in the water, the water soluble material covering the
opening degrades
in the water over a period of time, revealing the opening to the interior of
the bait container
and thus exposing the bait sections within the bait container to the potential
catch.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a single layer of water
soluble
material is provided between two sections of bait. This configuration is
useful for initially
exposing one section of the bait to the potential catch (when water has
breached the
opening to the container), while protecting the second section of bait prior
to use. In time,
the water soluble material protecting the second section of bait continues to
degrade, thus
exposing the second section of bait to the potential catch.
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In another embodiment, three or more sections of bait are provided wherein the
third and subsequent sections of bait are each hidden by sections of water
soluble material
which each have different degrees of degradation time due to, for instance,
variations in
the composition, density or thickness of the water soluble material. For
example, a first
bait section may have a sufficient amount of water soluble material so that
the first bait
section is exposed after 1 hour in water. A 2"d bait section may possess
slightly more
water soluble material, and hence is exposed 3 hours after immersion. In this
manner,
separate bait sections within the bait container may have progressively
varying exposure
rates.
Additionally, degradation times of the water soluble material may be
influenced
by the temperature of the water in which the bait container is placed. Upon
immersion in
warmer water, the water soluble material will degrade at a faster rate than if
immersed in
colder water. Accordingly, it is possible to vary degradation rates by
increasing or
decreasing the amount of water soluble material used as a seal. For example,
in warmer
water, and when a slower release of the bait is desired, a thicker seal of
water soluble
material may be used. Conversely, if a faster release of the bait is desired
in colder water,
a thinner seal of water soluble material may be used.
The water soluble material may be formed of any water soluble material, but
preferably, the water soluble material of the present invention comprises a
mixture of
marshmallow, corn syrup and molasses, which is boiled to remove excess liquid.
The
sticky residue remaining after the boiling process thus forms the water
soluble seal which
can be used in the bait container of the present invention. The mixture may be
made
thicker by boiling it for a longer period of time, so as to remove more liquid
therefrom.
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The bait container may further have, for example, a removable or openable top
portion, whereby the top portion may be temporarily removed or opened so as to
allow for
the insertion of bait and water soluble material into the interior of the
container. Further,
the bait container of the present invention can be immersed in the water for
up to 3 days
until retrieval, depending upon the temperature of the water, as noted above,
and the
amount of water soluble material being used to form the seal, but generally
the bait
container is to be immersed for 1 or 2 days until retrieval.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a bait container according to
an
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cut away view of an embodiment of a bait container of the
present invention,
illustrating the bait sections positioned within the bait container;
Figure 3 is a cut away view of a bait container of the present invention,
illustrating another
embodiment of the bait sections positioned within the bait container; and
Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a bait container according to a
further
embodiment of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to Figure 1, a bait container (1 ) comprises a housing (1 a) which
houses bait sections and water soluble material therein, and which possesses a
top portion
(3), which may be removable or openable to allow for the insertion of bait
and/or water
soluble material. Positioned on an outer surface of the bait container (1 ) is
a peel back flap
(5), defined by perforations (4), on the exterior surface of the container (1
), which can be
torn at a top portion thereof, such as with the aid of a tab portion (6), by
the user of the bait
container so as to allow immediate access to one or more bait sections
therein. The bait
container (1 ) may be of any suitable size and shape in order to be used as
desired. In
Figure i, an embodiment of the bait container of the present invention
illustrates the top
of the bait container (1 ) as including a triangular top section (3).
Referring to Figure 2, there is illustrated an embodiment of a bait container
of
the present invention, wherein the bait container (1 ) comprises a housing (1
a) having a
triangular top section (3) which houses a first bait section (7), a second
bait section (9) and
a third bait section (11 ) therein, the bait sections being superposed one on
top of another.
The top section (3) is surmounted by lips (3a) which can be opened to supply
live bait to
the first bait section (7) shortly before deployment on the bait container (1
). In this
embodiment, the bait sections are separated vertically from one another by
cardboard
dividers (19, 21) positioned within the bait container, however, other
configurations to
divide the bait sections are conceivable. Each of these respective bait
sections (7,9,11 )
holds bait (13,15,17) therein. In this embodiment of the present invention,
the first bait
section (7) is not provided with a layer of water soluble material, so that
when the tab
portion (6) of the flap (5) is torn by the user downwardly along a substantial
portion of the
outside length of the bait container (1 ), the first bait section (7), and the
bait therein (13),
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is exposed for immediate fishing. The second bait section (9) possesses an
inner layer of
water soluble material (23), which degrades slowly after the flap (5) has been
pulled
downwardly to gradually expose the bait section (9) to the water. The third
bait section
(11 ) possesses an inner layer of water soluble material (25), which is
thicker than the layer
of water soluble material (23) positioned in the second bait section (9), and
which, by virtue
of being thicker, will take longer to gradually degrade and expose the third
bait section (11 )
to crustacea or fish, thus providing for longer term fishing.
Referring to Figure 3, there is illustrated another embodiment of the bait
container of the present invention, wherein the bait container possesses only
two bait
sections (7,9). The bait container (1 ) comprises a housing having a
triangular top section
(3) which houses a first bait section (7) and a second bait section (9)
therein, the bait
sections being layered on top of one another, and separated vertically from
one another
by a cardboard divider (19) positioned with the bait container. Each of these
respective
bait sections (7,9) holds bait (13,15) therein.
In this embodiment of the present invention, the first bait section (7) is not
provided with
a layer of water soluble material, so that when the tab portion (6) of the
flap (5) is torn by
the user downwardly along a substantial portion of the outside length of the
bait container
(1 ), the first bait section (7), and the bait therein (13) is exposed for
immediate fishing. The
second bait section (9) possesses an inner layer of water soluble material
(23), which
degrades slowly after the flap (5) is pulled downwardly to expose the bait
section (9) to the
water.
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Referring to Figure 4, the bait container (1 ) comprises a housing (1 a) which
houses the bait sections and the water soluble material (not shown) therein,
and which
possesses a top portion (3), by lips (3a) which can be opened to supply live
bait to the first
bait section (7) shortly before deployment on the bait container (1 ). The top
portion (3)
may also be removable so as to allow for the insertion of bait or water
soluble material.
Positioned on an outer surface of the bait container (1 ), the container
possesses an
opening (2) (in this embodiment, illustrated as being oval in shape) covered
by an outer
layer of water soluble material (8). Once the bait container is placed in the
water, the
outer layer of water soluble material (8) degrades gradually to allow access
to the bait
sections therein.
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