Lure drive unit and fishing lure

Abstract

A lure drive unit (100) for propelling a fishing lure (10) through water and a fishing lure using such a lure drive unit. The lure drive unit comprises a body (110) for encasing one or more other components, a drive shaft (150) protruding from a back end of the body, the drive shaft being rotatable by a rotation unit (140) to propel the lure drive unit forward and a battery (145) for supplying the lure drive unit with power. The lure drive unit further comprises back fastening means (125) for connecting the lure drive unit to a fishing line (15), the back fastening means being arranged at a position closer to said back end than a front end, such that the lure drive unit may move away from the angler (1) using it. In addition to the lure drive unit, the fishing lure comprises a bait sleeve (20) which may be arranged to at least partially cover the lure drive unit. The bait sleeve has a tail end (25) in which a guiding channel (26) is arranged to receive the drive shaft of the lure drive unit, such that the tail end of the bait sleeve may be moved by the rotation of the drive shaft (150), thereby mimicking the movement of a prey such as a fish.

Description

[0001] LURE DRIVE UNIT AND FISHING LURE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of fishing lures in particular self-propelled fishing lures and a drive unit for such a fishing lure.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] When angling, it is important that the target fish are made aware of the presence of a fishing lure and that it believes that the fishing lure is a realistic prey, such that the target fish will bite and may be reeled in by the angler.

[0006] Many types of fishing lures have been made having life-like appearance an even movement that mimics the natural movement of prey that may be used for bait.

[0007] EP2490374 discloses a bait drive unit to be installed in a bait fish. When arranged in the bait fish, the bait drive unit effectively imitates the movements of a sick bait fish and thus promises a high yield when angling. The bait drive unit has an energy store, an electromotive drive device and a shaft able to be driven via the electromotive drive device. The shaft is curved in such a way that, upon projection into a plane, the curvature of the shaft is not subject to any change in sign and the shaft is arranged inside a channel of the elastic body of a bait fish, such that the movement of the drive shaft transmits to the elastic material of that bait fish.

[0008] However, regardless of the natural movement of the bait fish as created by a lure drive unit, a fish will not bite if the fishing lure is too far away to be detected or for the target fish to believe itself safe when hunting the fishing lure. Fish tend to hide in shaded areas under overhanging trees, within the rushes or under the shadow of piers. Such areas are inaccessible to anglers as the bait fish and hook may only enter the water where the angler can throw it and then move toward the angler as the fishing lure is reeled in.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Numerous objects and advantages, which will be evident from the description of the present invention, are according to a first aspect of the present invention obtained by: A lure drive unit for propelling a fishing lure through water said lure drive unit comprising: a body for encasing one or more other components of said lure drive unit, said body having a front end and a back end, a drive shaft protruding from said back end of said body for driving the propelling of said lure drive unit in a forward direction, a rotation unit for rotating said drive shaft relative to said body around a rotation axis, a battery for providing said rotation unit with power, a back fastening means for connecting said lure drive unit to a fishing line, said back fastening means arranged at a position closer to said back end than said front end.

[0011] By the body encasing, other components may be understood that it is physically connecting the components, although some of the components may at least partially protrude from the body. Preferably, at least some of the components being encased by the body are water-tightly encased such that those components, such as electronic components, are shielded from the environment.

[0012] By a front end is understood a first end region, that is the part of the body of the lure drive unit closest to this end, such as the quarter of the lure drive unit closest to this end. By a back end is understood a second end region closest to the second end of the body of the lure drive unit, the second end of the lure drive unit being opposite the first end of the lure drive unit. The back end may be the quarter of the body of the lure drive unit closest to the second end in the longitudinal direction. By the back fastening means being arranged closer to the back end than the front end it is understood to include that the back fastening means may be arranged such that it is partially or fully arrange din the back end of the body.

[0013] By the forward direction is understood a direction from the back end toward the front end. It will be understood that when the lure drive unit is propelled in a forward direction, it may be angled relative to the central axis of the body of the lure drive unit, while still moving in a direction being from the back end toward the front end.

[0014] By a rotation unit is understood a component which may drive the rotational movement of the drive shaft around a rotation axis. In preferred variants, the rotation unit will be configured to be able to rotate the drive shaft in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction to increase control of the movement pattern of the lure drive unit. The rotation unit will rotate the drive shaft around the rotation axis. Some of the drive shaft may be parallel to and coinciding with the rotation axis, while the drive shaft is preferably shaped such that at least part of the drive shaft will not coincide with the rotation axis. The rotation unit may be an electromotive drive device.

[0015] In a preferred variant, the drive shaft will be arranged to protrude from the back end of the body, such that the drive shaft is at the proximal end parallel to the top and bottom surface of the body. In a preferred variant, the drive shaft protrudes from the backmost point of the body.

[0016] By a fastening means is understood a structure for securing the lure drive unit to a fishing line. Such fastening means may for example be a loop, an eyelet, a snap hook, or a magnet.

[0017] By a back fastening means is understood a fastening means arranged at the back half of the lure drive unit, i.e. the longitudinal half of the lure drive unit closest to the back end of the lure drive unit. Hence, the back fastening means is arranged at a position being closer to the back end of the lure drive unit than the font end of the lure drive unit. The back fastening means may preferably be arranged within the back end of the lure drive unit, such as protruding from the back end of the lure drive unit.

[0018] A benefit of having back fastening means is that the attachment point of the fishing line will be near the back end of the lure drive unit, such that the attachment point is near the drive shaft and the lure drive unit may propel in a direction away from the attachment point and thereby away from the angler. Fishing lures known in the art are limited to move toward the angler, as attachment means are typically arranged at the front- most point of the fishing lure or optionally lure drive unit of a fishing lure. Hence, the fishing lure may move toward the angler as the angler reels in the fishing lure or as the drive unit propels the fishing lure forward in the direction of a front fastening means. Having back fastening means allows the angler to throw a fishing lure containing the lure drive unit and having it been propelled away from the angler. By pulling on a fishing line attached to the back fastening means, e.g. pulling it to a side compared to the forward direction, the angler may adjust the direction in which the lure drive unit drives the fishing lure, while it will continue to be away from or even past the angler. This en- ables fishing at locations which were previously inaccessible, e.g. along shores, under overhang which the angler could not throw a lure through, or even under a wooden pier or a boat from which the angler is fishing. These places falling in shade are places where fish are known to prefer hiding. The lure drive unit may thus provide an increased opportunity for target fish biting and thereby, the lure drive unit provides improved fishing.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the lure drive unit comprises a buoyancy chamber arranged at the top of said body.

[0020] By a buoyancy chamber is understood a leak-tight chamber or solid structure providing the lure drive unit with updrift. Hence, the buoyancy chamber may be seen as a structure decreasing the overall density of the lure drive unit lower than that of water, such that the lure drive unit will not sink when used in fishing but will remain close to the surface of the water. Preferably, the buoyancy chamber provides the lure drive unit with sufficient updrift to keep both the lure drive unit and a bait sleeve afloat when forming a fishing lure.

[0021] The buoyancy chamber may be a hollow chamber being leak-tight and containing air or another gas or gas composition. The buoyancy chamber may comprise or consist of a material such as a porous material, e.g. styrene plastic. The buoyancy chamber may be an integral part of the body of the lure drive unit, e.g. by being a vacant part of the body when the body itself is leak-tight, having other components arranged in the bottom half of the body.

[0022] The buoyancy chamber ensures that the lure drive unit is bottom heavy.

[0023] In a preferred variant, the buoyancy chamber is encased within the body of the lure drive unit.

[0024] The buoyancy chamber is arranged at the top of the body of the lure drive unit, by which is understood that at least a majority of the buoyancy chamber is closer to the top surface of the lure drive unit than to the bottom surface of the lure drive unit.

[0025] Having a buoyancy chamber is beneficial as it allows the lure drive unit or fishing lures of which it is a part to be arranged at a level in the water where fish will typically hunt, thus increasing the chances of catching fish. If the fishing lure would sink to the bottom of a body of water, the movement of the drive shaft might be impeded making the movement of a fishing lure less realistic or even making movement impossible.

[0026] By having the buoyancy chamber arranged at the top of the body of the lure drive unit, the lure drive unit may be arranged to lie stably within the water, avoiding unintended tilting or rotation of the entirety of the fishing lure in which the lure drive unit is mounted, such that it may maintain the look of prey and lure the target fish. Further, maintain understanding of how the fishing lure is arranged in the water makes it possible to control and / or foresee the movement of the fishing lure as it is propelled by the drive shaft of the lure drive unit.

[0027] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the body having a trapezoid shape being wider at the top surface than at the bottom surface.

[0028] A benefit of a trapezoid shape is that it contributes to the natural look of the fishing lure in which the bait drive unit is arranged.

[0029] A benefit of a trapezoid shape is that it allows for a larger buoyancy chamber near the top of the body, such that the updrift provided by the buoyancy chamber may be increased and the stability of the placement of the lure drive unit similarly increased.

[0030] In a preferred variant, the width of the trapezoid at the top is at least 1.1 times the width of the trapezoid at the bottom, such as at least 1.2 times the width of the trapezoid at the bottom, such as at least 1.3 times the width of the trapezoid at the bottom, such as at least 1.35 times the width of the trapezoid at the bottom.

[0031] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the back fastening means being arranged closer to the top than to the bottom. In a preferred variant, the back fastening means is arranged to protrude from the top surface of the body.

[0032] By having the back fastening means arranged closer to the top than the bottom, the angler’s control of the position of the bait drive unit is improved as any force the angler applies by tugging on the fishing line will be at least partially in an upward and backward direction. Another benefit of the placement of the back fastening means closer to the top than the bottom of the body is that a decrease of the risk of a fishing line attached to the back fastening means collides with the drive shaft or a tail end of a bait sleeve, in which the lure drive unit is mounted.

[0033] In a preferred variant, the back fastening means are arranged to protrude from the back half of the body, preferably from the back quarter of the body.

[0034] In a preferred variant, the body of the lure drive unit comprises a curved surface, curving in a convex fashion toward the end of the body, the back fastening means being arranged at this curved surface.

[0035] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the said back fastening means being arranged to protrude at an angle relative to the rotational axis.

[0036] In a preferred variant, the back fastening means are arranged to connect a fishing line at an angle relative to the rotation axis, the angle preferably being within the range of 30-70 degrees, such as within 40-60 degrees, such as within 50-60 degrees. In a more preferred variant, the back fastening means forms a loop or eyelet protruding from the top surface of the body at an angle within the range of 30-70 degrees, such as within 40-60 degrees, such as within 50-60 degrees, such as around 55 degrees.

[0037] By having the back fastening means angled relative to the rotation axis decreases the risk of inconvenient contact or tangling between a fishing line attached to the back fastening means and the drive shaft, or a tail end of a bait sleeve in which the lure drive unit is mounted.

[0038] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the lure drive unit comprises front fastening means for connecting the lure drive unit to a fishing line.

[0039] By having multiple fastening means arranged at multiple locations along the lure drive unit, the versatility of use cases of the lure drive unit is increased.

[0040] By front fastening means is understood a fastening loop arranged closer to the front end of the lure drive unit than to the back end of the lure drive unit. In a preferred vari- ant the front fastening means is arranged at the front quarter of the lure drive unit. In a preferred variant, the front fastening means is arranged at the longitudinal frontmost part of the body, such as protruding from the frontmost point of the body.

[0041] By having a front fastening means, a fishing lure having the lure drive unit mounted may be used in a more conventional manner, e.g. by attaching the fishing line to the front fastening means and using a fishing lure having the lure drive unit mounted without activating the lure drive unit. This may be relevant to preserve battery, to make the fishing lure usable if the battery has run out of power or the lure drive unit has been damaged.

[0042] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the driving shaft is curved.

[0043] A benefit of a curved drive shaft is that the rotation of the drive shaft will affect the movement of the tail end of a bait sleeve in an off-axis manner, enabling increased movement of the tail end of the bait sleeve and thereby increasing the propagation of the fishing lure.

[0044] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the driving shaft being curved in a monotonous manner, such that the distal end of the driving shaft, extends beyond the projection of said body in the radial direction.

[0045] By the curvature of the driving shaft being monotonous may be understood that any point along the driving shaft will in the distal direction be at the same distance or a further distance from the rotation axis than any point more proximal to the body of the lure drive unit.

[0046] A benefit of monotonous curvature of the drive shaft is that risk of damaging the tail end of the fishing sleeve or a guiding channel farmed in the structure of the tail end is decreased.

[0047] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the lure driving module comprises a control unit for controlling the activation patterns of the rotation unit. The lure control unit may be programmed to be able to execute a number of different rotation patterns. Variations in rotation patterns may include direction of rotation, speed of rotation, and / or the frequency of change of direction of rotation. Various rotation patterns may enable the lure drive unit to mimic various types of fish and / or sick or healthy fish. Different rotation patterns may also affect the speed and distance which the lure drive unit may propel a fishing lure.

[0048] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the control unit is configured to be activated by a wireless signal from an activation unit.

[0049] An activation unit may for example be a controller configured to activate the control unit. In some variants, the activation unit may be configured to begin activation by proximity e.g. by the presence of a magnetic field or by transmission of an RFID signal.

[0050] In some variants, different activation units may be used to activate different rotation patterns. In some variants, a single activation unit may allow the user to choose which rotation pattern to activate. In some variants, the control unit will choose rotation patterns either in a predetermined order or at random.

[0051] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the lure drive unit comprises one or more attachment means for attaching components, such as a hook to the body.

[0052] The attachment means may take any form that enables the attachment of accessories such as hooks or blinkers. Attachment means may be formed similarly to fastening means, e.g. being loops or eyelets or being magnetic.

[0053] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fishing lure making use of the lure drive unit according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0054] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a fishing lure is provided comprising: a lure drive unit according to the first aspect of the invention, a bait sleeve for at least partially covering the lure drive unit, the bait sleeve comprising: a tail end made from a material having greater bending elasticity than the drive shaft, a guiding channel for receiving the drive shaft such that movement of the drive shaft translates to movement of the tail end.

[0055] A bait sleeve may be a structure shaped as a creature, which may fall pray to the target fish and may be used to bait the target fish to bite during fishing. The bait sleeve may for example be formed in the shape of a fish, a frog or even a small bird or squirrel. The bait sleeve is further constructed such that it may be arranged to at least partially cover the lure drive unit, facilitating both camouflaging the bait drive unit as prey and enabling the translation of the movement of the drive shaft to movement of a part of the bait sleeve, which will take part in the propelling of the fishing bait through a body of water.

[0056] In a preferrable variant, the bait sleeve is an elastic material formed to expand and fit snugly around the bait drive unit.

[0057] By a tail end is understood part of the bait sleeve being naturally near the rear of the portrayed prey, e.g. the tail fin of a fish or the leg of a frog, such that it will seem realistic that the fishing lure moves in a forward direction when the lure drive unit is installed in the fishing lure with the drive shaft in the tail end of the fishing lure.

[0058] It will be understood to the person skilled in the art that the lure drive unit is mounted in a rotatably fixed manner in the bait sleeve, such that the rotation unit will translate force to the driving of the drive shaft and the movement of the tail end rather than rotating the body of the lure drive unit within the bait sleeve.

[0059] While the material of the trail end is required to have an elasticity greater than the bending elasticity of the drive shaft, such that the rotation of the drive shaft may be translated to movement of the trail end, the material of the remainder of the bait sleeve may be the same or different.

[0060] In some variants, the bait sleeve away from the tail end may be made from a more rigid material than the tail end, e.g. making a rigid casing around the lure drive unit, while the tail end is a resilient member. In a preferred variant, the entirety of the bait sleeve may be made from a resilient material such as silicone, rubber, or latex. In some variants, the tail end of the bait sleeve may be more rigid than the remainder of the tail sleeve by account of the presence of more material being present in the tail end.

[0061] By a guiding channel may be understood a hollow within the material of the tail end of the bait sleeve, the dimensions of the guiding channel being such that the drive shaft may be inserted into the guiding channel. In some variants, the guiding channel may have dimensions identical to or exceeding the driving shaft. In other variants, the dimensions of the guiding channel when the lure drive unit is not installed, may be smaller than the driving shaft given that the material of the tail end is resiliently elastic, such that the guiding channel may be expanded upon insertion of the driving shaft into the guiding channel. Similarly, it is understood that the guiding channel may be linear without any curvature when there is no lure drive unit but may bend when a curved drive shaft is inserted into the guiding channel.

[0062] One benefit of the guiding channel is making the mounting of the lure drive unit within the bait sleeve easier. Another benefit of the guiding channel is ensuring that the drive shaft can suitably translate the rotational movement to the movement of the tail end of the bait sleeve, as the movement of the drive shaft is not impeded while simultaneously contacting the tail end to ensure that force is transferred from the drive shaft to the tail end.

[0063] According to a further embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the bait sleeve comprises one or more sleeve openings for one or more fastening means to be made accessible through.

[0064] By a fastening mean being made accessible is understood that it may be interacted with by an angler when the lure drive unit is mounted in the bait sleeve, e.g. such that a fishing line may be secured to the fastening means after the bait drive unit has been installed in the bait sleeve. In a preferred variant, attachment means are made accessible through a sleeve opening by extending through the sleeve opening.

[0065] Sleeve openings may be arranged to allow back fastening means to extend through the sleeve opening and / or they may be arranged to allow front fastening means to extend through the sleeve opening. One or more sleeve openings may be arranged to make attachment means of the lure drive unit accessible.

[0066] According to a further embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the bait sleeve comprising a mounting slit through which the lure drive unit may be inserted into the bait sleeve.

[0067] A mounting sleeve has the benefit of allowing the repeated insertion and removal of a lure drive unit from the bait sleeve. This may for example allow the same bait drive unit to be used with various types of bait sleeves, e.g. bait sleeves resembling various types of prey, such as different species of fish or frogs, to lure different target fish.

[0068] Should the lure drive unit or bait sleeve be damaged, the mounting slit further enables the exchange of the damaged component without wasting the still functional component.

[0069] In a preferred variant, the bait sleeve is made from a resilient material, such that it may expand around the lure drive unit when the lure drive unit is arranged to be at least partially covered by the bait sleeve by insertion of the lure drive unit through the mounting slit.

[0070] According to a further embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the bait sleeve comprises one or more accessories and / or attachment means.

[0071] Accessories such as hooks or blinkers may be an integral part of the bait sleeve. The bait sleeve may comprise one or more attachments means for attaching accessories such as hooks, blinkers, or other accessories.

[0072] One benefit of the bait sleeve comprising one or more accessories and / or attachment means is that the fishing lure may be more versatile in where accessories are mounted. The bait sleeve may be made more sturdy if requiring fewer sleeve openings for fastening means and / or attachment means to be accessible through. SHORT LIST OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] In the following, examples of embodiments are described according to the invention, where:

[0074] Fig. 1 shows a use case of a fishing lure according to the present invention.

[0075] Figs. 2a-2c illustrate an embodiment of a lure drive unit according to the invention, shown from various directions.

[0076] Figs. 3a-3b show cross-sectional views of a lure drive unit, conceptually indicating components arranged within a body of the lure drive unit.

[0077] Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a bait sleeve for use with the lure drive unit.

[0078] Fig. 5 shows a semi-transparent view of a fishing lure comprising a lure drive unit mounted in a bait sleeve.

[0079] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0080] The invention will now be explained in more detail below by means of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0081] The invention may, however, be embodied in different forms than depicted below, and should not be construed as limited to any examples set forth herein. Rather, any examples are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Like elements will, thus, not be described in detail with respect to the description of each figure.

[0082] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a fishing lure 10 in use. An angler 1 is fishing using a fishing rod 12 with a fishing line 15 attached to a fishing lure 10. The fishing lure 10 comprises a bait sleeve 20, shaped like a fish which may be prey luring target fish to bite. Note that the fishing lure 10 may take many shapes and sizes, thus in many embodiments, the fishing lure 10 will be smaller than what is illustrated in Fig. 1 , where focus is made on the fishing lure 10 being clearly visible for illustrative purposes. The fishing lure 10 is attached to the fishing line 15 at a back fastening means arranged in the back half of the lure drive unit (see Figs. 2a-2c). The fishing lure 10 may be propelled in a forward direction F (from tail end of the bait sleeve to front end of the bait sleeve), such that the fishing lure may move away from the angler 1, as shown in Fig. 1 e.g., making it able to enter a shady region underneath a bridge or in between reeds.

[0083] The fishing lure 10 may be situated in the surface of the water, where the angler 1 may monitor the position and movement of the fishing lure 10. Further, many types of prey of interest to target fish will move near the surface of the water thereby making it more deceptive and increasing the chances of target fish biting.

[0084] Figs. 2a-2c illustrate a preferred embodiment of a lure drive unit 100 according to the invention. The lure drive unit 100 comprises a body 100 having a front end 111 and a back end 115. A drive shaft 150 is rotatably connected at the back end 115 such that it may rotate around an axis of rotation 142. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the drive shaft 150 is monotonously curved, such that the distal end 152 is further from the rotation axis than the proximal end 151 of the drive shaft 150 and that the distance to the rotational axis is either maintained or increased when moving further towards the distal end 152. The lure drive unit 100 comprises back attachment means 125 for attaching a fishing line.

[0085] In preferred embodiments as shown, the back attachment means 125 form a loop or eyelet for the attachment of a fishing line. Alternatively, the back attachment means may be differently shaped, e.g. as an indented eyelet through the body, or as a magnetic structure embedded in the body or mounted in a hollow of the body 110.

[0086] Some embodiments may comprise a front attachment means 121 as shown in Figs. 2a-2c, while other embodiments may forego other attachment means than the back attachment means 125. Yet other embodiments may comprise more than two attachment means.

[0087] In a preferred embodiment, at least part of the front end 111 comprises a curved surface. The curved surface of the front end 111 may contribute to the realistic look of a fishing lure with the bait drive unit 100 installed and further, it makes the lure drive unit more hydrodynamic decreasing resistance of a fishing lure being arranged snugly around the front end of the lure drive unit 100.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, at least part of the back end 115 comprises a curved surface. The curvature of the surface may contribute to the angling of the back fastening means 125 and the decreased risk of collision between the drive shaft or tail end of a bait sleeve (see Figs. 4 and 5) and an attached fishing line.

[0089] In preferred embodiments of the lure drive unit 100, the back attachment means are arranged to protrude from the top surface 113 at the back end 115. In more preferred variants, it will protrude at an angle relative to the axis of rotation, the angle falling within the range of 30-70 degrees, preferably within the range of 50-60 degrees.

[0090] In preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the body 110 in the transverse direction is trapezoidal as seen in the end view of Fig. 2c, such that the bottom surface 116 is shorter than the top surface 113. Preferably, the centre points of the top and bottom surfaces are aligned. The trapezoid shape allows a larger volume at the top half of the body 110, thereby increasing the volume which may be used for creating updrift.

[0091] Figs. 3a-3b show cross-sectional views of a lure drive unit, conceptually indicating components arranged within a body of the lure drive unit.

[0092] The lure drive unit 100 comprises a number of components which may be water-tightly shielded by the body 110. In preferred embodiments, the lure drive unit 100 comprises a buoyancy chamber 160 arranged at the top of the body 110. In some embodiments, the buoyancy chamber 160 may be a block of material or a an enclosed gas such as air as shown in Fig. 3a. In other embodiments, the buoyancy chamber 160 may be made up of vacant space enclosed by the body 110, such that the buoyancy chamber is filled with air or another gas surrounding the components water tightly encased by the body 110 as shown in Fig. 3b.

[0093] The lure drive unit 100 comprises a rotation unit 140 for facilitating the rotation of the drive shaft 150 around the rotation axis 142. The drive shaft is mechanically connected to the drive unit 140, which is in turn mounted in a body in a fixed manner. The lure drive unit further comprises a battery 145 for supplying the rotation unit 140 with power. In some embodiments, the battery 145 may be arranged closer to the front end 111 of the body than to the back end 115 of the body 110. Such placement may balance the weight of the rotation unit 140, making the lure drive unit 100 lie stably in the water. In other embodiments, the battery 145 may be arranged adjacently to or integrated with the drive unit 140. While the figures show different configurations, it is to be understood that the placement of the battery 145 need not be dependent on the placement of other components. While components may be arranged to take into account the balance of the lure drive unit and how the lure drive unit will lie in or move through water, this may be achieved by many different possible placements depending on the size and weight of each component.

[0094] The lure drive unit 100 may preferably comprise a control unit 130, which may be connected to control the rotation patterns of the drive shaft 150. In some embodiments, the control unit 130 may be integrated with the rotation unit 140. Some embodiments may be simplified by foregoing a control unit 130 and simply allowing a predetermined rotation pattern, such as continuous rotation in a single direction, once the rotation unit 140 is turned on.

[0095] Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a bait sleeve 20 for use with the lure drive unit. The shown bait sleeve 20 is shaped as a fish having tail fins forming the tail end of the bait sleeve 20. While the particular bait sleeve 20 is shown as a simple sketch, bait sleeves may have colours, patterns and other embellishments to make them appear more lifelike. Similarly, bait sleeves may have various shapes and sizes as long as they are configured to at least partially cover a lure drive unit and support the placement of a drive shaft in a guiding channel 26 for the movement of the tail end 25 of the bait sleeve 20.

[0096] Preferred embodiments of the bait sleeve 20 comprise a mounting slit 22, through which a lure drive unit may be inserted into a hollow within the bait sleeve 20. The mounting slit 22 may be formed in an elastic material allowing the bait sleeve to be stretched around a lure drive unit, and / or the mounting slit 22 may be large enough so that a part of the bottom surface of the lure drive unit may be exposed when mounted in the bait sleeve 20. Preferred embodiments of the bait sleeve 20 comprise one or more sleeve openings 23 through which an attachment means, preferably at least a back attachment means, may protrude.

[0097] In some embodiments, the bait sleeve may comprise accessories such as a hook 30 directly attached to the bait sleeve 20, while other embodiments may allow such attachments to be connected to the lure drive unit.

[0098] Fig. 5 shows a semi-transparent view of a fishing lure 10 comprising a lure drive unit 100 mounted in a bait sleeve 20, such that the bait sleeve at least partially covers the lure drive unit. In some preferred embodiments, the bait sleeve is made of an elastic material and will be arranged to fit snugly around the lure drive unit 100 - this is not clear in the conceptual illustration of Fig. 5 where the bait sleeve 20 is simply shown as a line.

[0099] The lure drive unit 100 is arranged within a hollow of the bait sleeve 20, such that the drive shaft 150 is at least partially located in the guiding channel 26 of the bait sleeve 20, while the body of the lure drive unit is rotationally fixed relative to the bait sleeve 20. When the drive shaft 150 is rotated by the rotating unit, the tail end 25 of the bait sleeve 20 will move due to the movement of the drive shaft 150 as the tail end 25 is made from a material having greater elasticity than the drive shaft 150. The movement of the tail end 26 will mimic the movement of a prey, e.g. the movement of the tail of a fish as illustrated in Fig. 5, or of a part of another animal such as the leg of a frog, making it move from side to side as well as up and down. The movement of the tail end 25 of the bait sleeve 20 caused by the rotation of the drive shaft 150 will propel the fishing lure 10 in the forward direction F.

[0100] Some embodiments of the lure drive unit 100 may comprise attachment means 129, to which accessories such as a hook 30 may be attached. LIST OF REFERENCES

[0101] F Forward direction

[0102] 1 Angler

[0103] 5 Wooden pier

[0104] 10 Fishing lure

[0105] 12 Fishing rod

[0106] 15 Fishing line

[0107] 20 Bait sleeve

[0108] 22 Mounting slit

[0109] 23 Sleeve opening

[0110] 25 Tail end

[0111] 26 Guiding channel

[0112] 30 Hook

[0113] 100 A lure drive unit

[0114] 110 Body

[0115] 111 Front end

[0116] 113 Top surface

[0117] 115 Back end

[0118] 116 Bottom surface

[0119] 121 Front fastening means

[0120] 125 Back fastening means

[0121] 129 Attachment means

[0122] 130 Control unit

[0123] 135 Activation unit

[0124] 140 Rotation unit

[0125] 142 Rotation axis

[0126] 145 Battery

[0127] 150 Drive shaft

[0128] 151 Proximal end

[0129] 152 Distal end

[0130] 160 Buoyancy chamber

Claims

CLAIMS1. A lure drive unit for propelling a fishing lure through water, said lure drive unit comprising: a body for encasing one or more other components of said lure drive unit, said body having a front end and a back end, a drive shaft protruding from said back end of said body for driving the propelling of said lure drive unit in a forward direction, a rotation unit for rotating said drive shaft relative to said body around a rotation axis, a battery for providing said rotation unit with power, a back fastening means for connecting said lure drive unit to a fishing line, said back fastening means arranged at a position closer to said back end than said front end.

2. The lure drive unit according to claim 1 , comprising a buoyancy chamber arranged at the top of said body.

3. The lure drive unit according to any one of the preceding claims, said body having a trapezoid shape being wider at the top than at the bottom.

4. The lure drive unit according to any one of the preceding claims, said back fastening means being arranged closer to the top than to the bottom.

5. The lure drive unit according to any one of the preceding claims, said back fastening means being arranged to protrude at an angle relative to said rotational axis, said angle preferably being in the range of 30-70 degrees.

6. The lure drive unit according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a front fastening means for connecting said lure drive unit to a fishing line.

7. The lure drive unit according to any one of the preceding claims, said driving shaft being curved.

8. The lure drive unit according to claim 7, said driving shaft being curved in a monotonous manner such that the distal end of said driving shaft extends beyond the projection of said body in the radial direction.

9. The lure drive unit according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a control unit for controlling the activation patterns of said rotation unit.

10. The lure drive unit according to claim 9, said control unit being configured to be activated by a wireless signal from an activation unit.

11. The lure drive unit according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising one or more attachment means for attaching components such as a hook to said body.

12. A fishing lure comprising: a lure drive unit according to any of the preceding claims, a bait sleeve for at least partially covering said lure drive unit, said bait sleeve comprising: a tail end made from a material having greater bending elasticity than said drive shaft, a guiding channel for receiving said drive shaft such that movement of said drive shaft translates to movement of said tail end.

13. The fishing lure according to claim 12, said bait sleeve comprising one or more sleeve openings for one or more fastening means to be made accessible through.

14. The fishing lure according to any of the claims 12-13, said bait sleeve comprising a mounting slit through which said lure drive unit may be inserted into said bait sleeve.

15. The fishing lure according to any of the claims 12-14, said bait sleeve comprising one or more attachments.

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