UV reactive bite indicator

Abstract

An illuminated bite indicator for fishing, characterized in that it has an integrated UV light source and can accommodate UV-reactive molded parts that cover the UV light source, wherein the UV light source excites the UV-reactive molded parts to emit light at a wavelength other than the UV light.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a bite indicator illuminated by UV light, which causes certain components used in the bite indicator to emit light at a more visible wavelength than the UV light. The technical principles of light as electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, whereby objects either absorb or reflect this electromagnetic radiation, or both, are assumed to be common basic knowledge.

[0002] Bite indicators are clip-on or pendulum bite indicators used to detect bites (forward line pull) and drop bites (reverse slack in the line) while fishing. These bite indicators have been widely used for years and come in various designs. They can be one-piece or multi-piece. Generally, they consist of a head with a clamping mechanism to secure the fishing line or force it into a defined path, and a body attached to a chain or rod. The body of the bite indicator is often cylindrical, but can also have other shapes. The bodies are usually a single color, and many models have an integrated LED that illuminates when a fish bites and continues to glow afterward. Various programming options are available for the LED, and its behavior depends on the programming.There are versions with a single-color LED, so the user cannot manipulate the LED color, and versions with so-called multi-color LEDs, where the user can switch between a series of defined color states. The described system for illuminating bite alarms can be considered state of the art.

[0003] Furthermore, there are bite alarm variants that do not use LEDs for illumination, but instead feature so-called slots—small, slit-shaped recesses—in which so-called beta lights can be inserted. These are weakly radioactive tritium gas light sources. This variant has also been commercially available for many years, but due to its radioactivity, it is subject to country-specific regulations and is not widely available in all European countries. In some cases, attempts are being made to replace these with so-called "glow-in-the-dark" products, usually known as phosphorescent paints. These products possess a material property that absorbs a portion of sunlight (the UV component) and then re-emits it in the dark, reflecting it back at a visible wavelength. The disadvantage of these products is that they only glow for a very limited time and must be recharged regularly.These products cannot stay lit all night on their own.

[0004] A fourth lighting option used in bite alarms, which is visually very similar to the previously described lighting effect but can easily illuminate the entire night, is the use of so-called glow sticks. These are small sticks filled with chemicals. When the sticks are bent, the chemicals combine, creating a glow that lasts for several hours. These glow sticks are available in various colors. However, their use is generally limited to one night, and they are a disposable product. The size of the glow sticks must also be considered in the design of the bite alarm.

[0005] The invention presented here functions completely differently from the previously described and commercially available lighting solutions for bite alarms. As already described, clip-on bite alarms typically consist of a body (2), a head with a line clip (1), and a mounting, usually an internal thread for attaching chains or rods (7). The bite alarm has a segment with an ultraviolet LED (6). Typically, an LED in the UV-A spectral range is used, with a wavelength between 370 and 390 nm. These light sources also typically emit small amounts of blue and purple light, which are visible to the human eye because the UV-A range borders the visible spectrum above the blue light spectrum. The visible light component appears faintly dark violet to the observer.This means that the radiation is not yet so short-wavelength and high-energy that even brief exposures could damage the human eye. Furthermore, only very low emission powers are used, and there is never direct line of sight to the UV LED during operation, which will be explained later.

[0006] The segment containing the UV LED is designed so that UV-reactive agents, typically UV-reactive rubber molded parts (4), can be inserted into a designated shape (5). The shape can be partial or circumferential. Many configurations are possible. The UV LED is located behind the UV-reactive agent and excites it to fluoresce. The process that causes the agent to fluoresce is well known. UV-A radiation excites fluorescent substances to fluoresce. This is the ability of some atoms and molecules to absorb radiation of a specific wavelength and thereby temporarily enter an excited state. Thus, higher-energy UV-A radiation is absorbed, and lower-energy light, visible to humans, is emitted. Under UV light, the UV-reactive materials can exhibit a completely different color than under a daylight spectrum.This effect is also known from nightclubs, where it is used to make agents glow in darkened rooms. UV-reactive agents can also be designed to appear under UV light. Common colors used in bite indicators include red, green, yellow, blue, and variations thereof.

[0007] The difference compared to previously available lighting solutions is multifaceted. Bite alarms that directly generate the lighting effect using an LED produce a completely different illumination pattern because they utilize the light emitted by the LED directly, even if the LED is located behind a lens or diffuser. This light also has a wider dispersion radius and tends to be reflected in its corresponding color by other surfaces in the vicinity.

[0008] The variant presented here, with a UV-reactive component positioned in front of a UV LED, appears in darkness without any significant scattered light component, since the UV light is invisible to the observer and the agent is stimulated to luminescence. This means that the agent is stimulated by the UV light to emit visible light of a different wavelength.

[0009] To display different colors on bite alarms, it's not necessary to use different colored LEDs or the aforementioned multi-color LEDs, which are then programmed via a control unit to produce color variations, typically limiting the user's color selection. Instead, the bite alarm uses only one UV light source, and the color variations are created with differently colored UV-reactive components. This makes the bite alarm more efficient to manufacture and also means the user isn't limited to specific colors from the outset. Furthermore, different UV-reactive components can be continuously introduced to the market, each with its own unique color appearance under UV light.The bite indicator's color scheme in the dark is not predetermined, but can be manipulated almost any number of times by exchanging the UV-reactive molded parts.

[0010] In terms of functionality, it is advisable to power the bite alarm with a rechargeable battery. For the charging interface, the most up-to-date technology is recommended. This could be a small magnetic two-pole contact, similar to those found in common smartwatches, and the charging voltage could be compatible with a USB interface. Since only low voltages and currents are required to operate the UV LED, even very small batteries can power the LED continuously for several days. It should be noted that instead of a rechargeable battery, a non-rechargeable but replaceable battery can also be used, in which case the bite alarm will obviously have some kind of battery compartment that can be opened. For the sake of simplicity, however, we will assume that the bite alarm is powered by a rechargeable battery.

[0011] Since the electronic circuit for just one LED is not very complex and only a few states need to be defined with regard to user manipulation, a single button (3) is sufficient to implement the functions on the bite alarm. These are switching on and off (long press) and cycling through different brightness levels (e.g., short press).

[0012] The method presented here for illuminating bite indicators is not only suitable for illuminating clip-on or pendulum bite indicators that are attached to the line. The method can also be used for the housing or attachments of bite indicators (8) that detect bites during fishing using electronic sensors. The line typically runs over a roller, and when a bite is detected, the roller moves forward or backward. This movement is detected using various technologies. When this occurs, a bite alarm is triggered and indicated to the user visually and audibly. While there are also bite indicators on the market that detect line movement using other sensors, the specific sensor technology is not relevant to the present invention.Rather, what is relevant is that these electronic bite indicators light up when a bite is detected and often also have a so-called night light function, in which a weak, continuous illumination serves as a position and orientation light.

[0013] The method presented here, using UV LEDs and UV-reactive molded parts, can be particularly useful for the night light function. The bite alarm housing can have a recess for a UV-reactive molded part (10), which can be inserted and replaced by the user. A UV LED is positioned behind the UV-reactive molded part (9), causing it to glow as previously described. Here again, it is evident that the night light of the bite alarm is not predetermined in terms of its color in the dark, but can be manipulated almost indefinitely by replacing the UV-reactive molded parts. The system described here, as a lighting solution for bite alarms using a UV-reactive LED that excites the agents to glow and in which the agents are interchangeable, can be implemented in a variety of ways.

Claims

[1] An illuminated bite indicator for fishing characterized by that it has an integrated UV light source and can accommodate UV-reactive molded parts that cover the UV light source, whereby the UV light source stimulates the UV-reactive molded parts to emit light at a different wavelength than the UV light. [2] A fishing bite indicator according to claim 1, wherein the UV-reactive molded parts are interchangeable. [3] A fishing bite indicator according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the intensity of the UV light source can be manipulated by the user. [4] A fishing bite indicator according to claims 1, 2 and 3 having a built-in battery which may be rechargeable and, if rechargeable, having a contact for charging.

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