DECOY

• US 20090165353A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregory Gustav Ladehoff, John Brian Priest
• Original Assignee: Gregory Gustav Ladehoff, John Brian Priest
• Inventors: Ladehoff, Gregory Gustav, Priest, John Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,861,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 43/3
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/06 Decoys

Abstract

A decoy has a body and a stand to support the body. In one embodiment, the stand has a least three legs which pivot between extended and collapsed positions, wherein a retainer structure releasably retains the legs in the extended positions. In another embodiment, the decoy includes an interconnect for securing the stand to the body. The interconnect snaps into connection with the body. In one embodiment, the interconnect has a pair of circumferential openings retaining the stand along the body during shipment.

Claims

1. A decoy comprising:

a decoy body; and

a stand supporting the body, the stand comprising;

a rod extending along an axis about which the body is configured to rotate;

at least three legs pivotably coupled to the rod for limiting between an extended position and a collapsed position; and

a retainer structure coupled between the rod in the legs, the structure configured to releasably retain each of the legs in the extended position.

2. The decoy of claim 1, wherein the retainer structure includes a channel for each leg, each channel having a resilient mouth having a dimension less than a corresponding dimension of a leg.

3. The decoy of claim 2, wherein the channels are integrally formed as part of a single unitary body of one or more polymeric materials.

4. The decoy of claim 2, wherein the retainer structure includes a bore receiving the rod along the axis and wherein each of the legs extends oblique to the axis in the extended position

5. The decoy of claim 1, wherein the body includes an opening bounded by a wall, the decoy further comprising an interconnect coupled between the body and the rod of the stand, the interconnect comprising:

a cavity receiving the rod; and

an annular groove receiving the wall of the body.

6. The decoy of claim 5, wherein the interconnect includes a pair opposite circumferential openings configured to receive the rod such that the rod extends across the cavity and through the interconnect.

7. The decoy of claim 6, wherein the interconnect is configured to resiliently flex during insertion of a wall into the groove.

8. The decoy of claim 7, wherein the interconnector includes a slit facilitating flexing of the interconnect

9. The decoy of claim 6, wherein the interconnect includes an opening and wherein the rod further comprises a projection radially extending into the opening, wherein the opening is sized to permit rotation of the interconnect about the axis and to limit rotation of the interconnect relative to the rod to less than 360 degrees about the axis.

10. The decoy of claim 6, wherein the opening includes a keyway and wherein the interconnect comprises a key in the keyway to limit rotation of the interconnect relative to the decoy body.

11. The decoy of claim 1 further comprising at least one elastic member having a first portion coupled to the decoy body and a second portion coupled to one of the stand legs.

12. The decoy of claim 11 further comprising flexible bands coupled between each elastic member and the decoy body.

13. The decoy of claim 1 wherein the body includes:

a main portion having an opening bounded by a wall; and

a leg mount portion received within the opening and including legs extending away from the main portion.

14. The decoy of claim 13 further including and interconnect connected to the leg mount portion and receiving the rod

15. A method comprising:

providing a decoy body having an outer opening;

connecting and interconnect into the opening, the interconnect having a cavity;

positioning a rod of a stand through the interconnect proximate the body;

collapsing at least three legs of the stand so as to extend proximate the body; and

retaining the collapsed legs proximate the body by wrapping one or more elastic members extending from the body across the legs and about the body.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising snapping the interconnect into the opening.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

unwrapping the at least one elastic member from the body to release the legs;

withdrawing the rod from the interconnect;

inserting an axial end of the rod into the cavity;

pivoting the at least three legs of the stand from collapsed positions to extended positions;

releasably retaining the at least three legs in the extended positions; and

securing the least one elastic member to one of the least three legs while in the extended position.

18. A decoy comprising:

a decoy body;

a structure coupled to the body forming an opening bounded by a wall;

a stand including a rod; and

an interconnect comprising;

a cavity configured to receive the rod; and

a groove receiving the wall so as to secure the interconnect to the body.

19. The decoy of claim 18, wherein the interconnect is configured to resiliently flex during insertion of the wall into the groove.

20. The decoy of claim 19, wherein the interconnect includes a slit facilitating flexing of the interconnect.