Fishing rod connector, and connector assemblies for fishing poles
First Claim
1. A fishing pole comprising:
- a handle assembly;
a rod; and
a connector assembly including a pair of complementary mating connectors configured to removably support the rod from the handle assembly, one of the connectors including a retaining member having at least one longitudinal engagement groove extending lengthwise of the retaining member and a retention slot disposed transversely of the longitudinal engagement groove and terminating in a tapered portion and another of the retaining members having a projecting finger with a contact portion extending generally transverse of the retaining member and configured for axial insertion through the longitudinal engagement groove and transverse displacement into the retaining member upon relative transverse displacement of the handle relative to the rod from a first position to a second position, and one of the connectors having a spring configured to urge the contact portion of the pin into engagement with the tapered portion of the retention slot so as to eliminate looseness between the one connector and the other connector.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fishing pole is provided having a handle assembly, a rod, and a connector assembly. The connector assembly includes a first retaining member and a second retaining member. One of the first and second retaining members is provided on the handle assembly, and another of the first and second retaining members is provided on the rod. The first retaining member includes one or more longitudinal engagement grooves along a length of the first retaining member and a lateral guide surface extending between each groove and a respective slot, and one or more retention slots. The second retaining member includes one or more projecting fingers disposed about a periphery of the second retaining member. The one or more retention slots of the first retaining member is configured to receive the one or more projecting fingers of the second retaining member upon engagement of the first and second retaining members via the engagement grooves and rotation between the first and second retaining members from a first position to a second position. A method is also provided.
46 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A fishing pole comprising:
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a handle assembly;
a rod; and
a connector assembly including a pair of complementary mating connectors configured to removably support the rod from the handle assembly, one of the connectors including a retaining member having at least one longitudinal engagement groove extending lengthwise of the retaining member and a retention slot disposed transversely of the longitudinal engagement groove and terminating in a tapered portion and another of the retaining members having a projecting finger with a contact portion extending generally transverse of the retaining member and configured for axial insertion through the longitudinal engagement groove and transverse displacement into the retaining member upon relative transverse displacement of the handle relative to the rod from a first position to a second position, and one of the connectors having a spring configured to urge the contact portion of the pin into engagement with the tapered portion of the retention slot so as to eliminate looseness between the one connector and the other connector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 48)
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16. A connector assembly for a fishing pole, comprising:
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an insertion member having one or more outwardly projecting pins, each pin having an abutment portion;
a receiving member having one or more longitudinal engagement grooves extending along a length of the receiving member, each engagement groove communicating with a retention slot extending;
laterally of a respective one of the longitudinal engagement grooves and terminating in a longitudinally extending three dimensional tapering surface and configured to receive a respective one of the outwardly projecting retention pins; and
a spring carried by one of the insertion member and the receiving member for compression there between in assembly so as to urge apart the insertion member and the receiving member;
wherein the one or more retention pins are received in the one or more retention slots via the one or more longitudinal engagement grooves upon insertion and rotation of the rod from a first receiving position to a second locked position and the abutment portion of the pin engages with the tapering surface in the second locked position so as to snug up the connector assembly. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A fishing pole comprising:
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a handle assembly;
a rod having a locking/unlocking end, the locking/unlocking end of the rod having a pair of outwardly projecting fingers disposed along the rod; and
a retaining member provided by the handle assembly and configured to removably support the rod from the handle assembly, the retaining member having a proximal end, a distal end, at least one longitudinal engagement groove, a pair of retention slots and a spring that is compressively engaged in assembly between the rod and the retaining member, the leg formed along a length of the retaining member to guide the locking/unlocking end of the rod from the distal end of the retaining member to the proximal end of the retaining member, the pair of retention slots disposed from the groove and configured to receive the pair of projecting fingers upon insertion of the locking/unlocking end of the rod in the retention member via the engagement groove and rotation of the rod from a first position to a second position, and each of the retention slots having a tapering engagement surface configured for engagement with a respective projecting finger to snugly render the rod in the retaining member responsive to the spring being compressed between the rod and the retaining member. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A fishing pole comprising:
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a handle assembly with a female connector;
a rod with a male connector configured to mate/demate in complementary engagement with the female connector, the male connector having an outwardly projecting finger disposed radially outwardly of the rod; and
a compression spring provided by one of the male connector and the female connector and configured in assembly between the male connector and the female connector to urge apart the rod and the handle assembly;
wherein the female connector and the male connector cooperate to provide a connector assembly for removably connecting together the rod and the handle, the female connector including a tubular retaining member having an engagement groove extending lengthwise of the retaining member and configured to guide the rod from a distal end to a proximal end of the retaining member, the retaining member further including a retention slot with a tapering portion disposed laterally of the engagement groove at a second position and configured to receive the projecting finger upon insertion of the rod into the retention member via the engagement groove and rotation of the rod from a first position to the second position. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A fishing pole, comprising:
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a handle assembly comprising a handle;
a rod configured to be removably supported by the handle;
a connector assembly configured to mount the rod onto the handle, the connector assembly including;
a male member including one or more outwardly projecting fingers disposed about a circumference of the male member;
a female member including an axially extending cavity configured to receive the male member including a receiving member having one or more grooves configured to receive the one or more projecting fingers and one or more retention slots communicating with the one or more grooves each having a tapering surface, the one or more grooves facilitating insertion of the rod from a distal end to a proximal end of the receiving member and the one or more tapering surfaces operative to engage with a respective one of the one or more fingers to snugly render the male member in the female member as the male member and the female member are urged apart; and
a compression member disposed in the cavity and configured to move between first and second compression states, wherein the second compression state has greater compression than the first compression state;
wherein the rod engages snugly with the handle as the compression member expands from the first compression state toward the second compression state. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A fishing pole, comprising a handle assembly;
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a rod;
a connector assembly having a first coupling end portion, a second coupling end portion, and a spring, one of the first and second coupling end portions provided by the handle assembly, and another of the first and second coupling end portions provided by the rod, wherein the first coupling end portion includes a first retaining member having a longitudinal engagement groove extending along a length of the retaining member, a lateral guide surface, and a retention slot with a tapering recess communicating with the groove via the lateral guide surface, the second coupling end portion includes a second retaining member having a projecting finger disposed about a periphery of the second retaining member, and wherein the retention slot of the first coupling end portion is configured to receive the one or more projecting finger of the second coupling end portion upon engagement of the first and second coupling end portions via the engagement grooves and rotation between the first and second coupling end portions from a first position to a second position and the spring urges apart the rod and the handle assembly to engage the projecting finger into engagement with the tapering recess to snug up the rod with the handle assembly. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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47. A fishing pole connector assembly, comprising:
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a male member having a locking stud thereon;
a female member having an L-shaped slot therein for engagement with the stud; and
a spring interposed between the male member and the female member to axially urge apart the male member and the female member;
wherein one of the male member and the female member includes a tapering surface and another of the male member and the female member includes a mating contact surface that engages in assembly with the tapering surface as the male member and the female member are urged apart by the spring to tighten fit-up between the male member and the female member. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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Specification