Bait-Fish Trap with Buoyant Light and Floating Tube

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing bait fish traps are laborious to use and rarely effective in capturing minnows and similar bait fish, as they require multiple people and are not efficient in entrapment.

Innovation Solution

A cylindrical bait-fish trap with a mesh shell, a mesh entrance cone, and a buoyant light module at the upper end that lures bait fish into an entrapment chamber through a funneling mechanism, ensuring the trap remains afloat and upright for easy retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If ordinary fish nets are used to capture bait fish, then the capture method is simple, but the effectiveness is poor and requires multiple people to wade into water which is laborious and perilous

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of capture operationVSAvoidcapture effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical netting operations with an automated trap system that uses a buoyant light to attract bait fish automatically into an entrapment chamber, eliminating the need for multiple people to wade into water and manually operate nets

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The trap system is self-activating through the buoyant light that automatically attracts bait fish into the entrapment chamber without requiring human intervention during the capture process, allowing the system to operate independently and efficiently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Device complexity

If conventional bait-fish traps are used, then the structure is simple, but they are laborious to use and rarely effective in capturing minnows and similar bait fish

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrap structure simplicityVSAvoidcapture effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional simple trap structures with an enhanced system that incorporates a buoyant light module to automatically attract and guide bait fish into the entrapment chamber, significantly improving capture effectiveness while maintaining reasonable structural complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The buoyant light acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the trap structure and the bait fish, using light attraction to guide fish into the entrapment chamber and improve capture effectiveness without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If a trap without buoyant support is used, then the structure is simpler, but the trap sinks when the hatch is opened to retrieve captured bait fish

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidretrieval convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a buoyant tube and buoyant light module that provide upward buoyant force to counteract the downward weight of the trap structure, preventing the trap from sinking when the hatch is opened and enabling easy retrieval of captured bait fish

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

4Device complexity

If a trap without light attraction is used, then the structure is simpler, but bait fish are not effectively lured into the entrapment chamber

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidcapture effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional passive trap structures with an active light-attraction system that uses optical energy to lure bait fish into the entrapment chamber, significantly improving capture effectiveness by adding a functional light module

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The trap effectively captures bait fish by using a buoyant light module to lure them into the entrapment chamber, maintaining the shell afloat and upright, allowing for easy access and retrieval without sinking, thus addressing the inefficiencies of prior traps.

Implementation Method 1

a buoyant light for luring bait fish from the entrance cone into the entrapment chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight attraction: Light

Implementation Method 2

A buoyant tube is circumferentially secured to the inner surface of the upper end so that the shell remains afloat whenever the hatch is opened to retrieve captured bait fish

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentUS9572328B1Bait-fish trap with floating light

Publication Date: 2017.02.21 HEAD CLYDE W

AI summary

An improved bait-fish trap includes a cylindrical, mesh shell having a continuous outer wall, an upper end and an open lower end. The shell houses a mesh entrance cone having a lower base that is concentric with the open lower end of the shell, and an upper vertex in communication with an overlying entrapment chamber. At the upper end of the shell is a releasable hatch for accessing bait fish within the entrapment chamber. Attached to the hatch is a buoyant light for luring bait fish from the entrance cone into the entrapment chamber until they are removed via the releasable hatch. A buoyant tube is circumferentially secured to the inner surface of the upper end so that the shell remains afloat whenever the hatch is opened to retrieve captured bait fish.