Electric Gaff Hook with Electrodes for Fish Immobilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fishing from a boat in an offshore environment often results in large fish thrashing violently upon being hauled onto the deck, posing a risk of injury to fishermen and requiring a labor-intensive and messy process to dispatch the fish.
Innovation Solution
An electric gaff hook device with an elongated pole, hooks equipped with electrodes for delivering an electrical shock to immobilize the fish, and a spike for humane euthanasia, allowing for safer and more efficient handling of fish.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional gaff hook is used to haul fish onto the boat, then the fish can be lifted onto the deck, but the fish thrashes violently causing injury risk to fishermen and requiring multiple strikes to dispatch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by delivering an electrical shock to the fish immediately upon hooking, before the fish can thrash violently. The electrodes on the hook deliver a controlled electrical stimulus that immobilizes the fish, preventing the harmful thrashing motion that would otherwise occur during the hauling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical fish dispatching method (multiple strikes with a bat) with an electrical system. The electrodes deliver controlled electrical currents to stun and immobilize the fish, substituting the mechanical impact-based dispatching with an electrical neuro-muscular system that achieves the same goal more safely and efficiently.
2Productivity
If multiple strikes are delivered to dispatch the fish, then the fish can be euthanized, but the process becomes labor intensive and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical shock is delivered as a preliminary action that immediately immobilizes and stuns the fish, eliminating the need for multiple subsequent strikes. This preliminary electrical intervention prepares the fish for easy dispatch and reduces the total time required from hooking to euthanasia.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the time-consuming mechanical process of delivering multiple strikes with a rapid electrical delivery system. The electrodes can deliver multiple electrical pulses in quick succession, each capable of stunning the fish, thereby dramatically reducing the time and labor required compared to manual striking methods.
3Ease of operation
If traditional fish dispatching methods are used, then the fish can be euthanized, but the process is messy and labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the messy mechanical dispatching process (multiple strikes with a bat, potential fish movement, blood splatter) with a clean electrical system. The electrodes deliver controlled electrical currents that stun and immobilize the fish, allowing for a cleaner, more controlled euthanasia process that generates minimal mess and requires less physical effort.
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 device effectively immobilizes fish for handling, reducing the risk of injury to fishermen and streamlining the process of bringing fish aboard and dispatching them, while also preserving the quality of the fish meat.
Implementation Method 1
a gaff hook that is capable of imparting an electrical shock onto a fish from a plurality of terminals
Implementation Method 2
The power output unit can amplify and send power to the plurality of electrodes based on a command from the user interface
Data Source
AI summary
An electric gaff hook device includes an elongated pole having at least one hook that is positioned along the distal end. Each of the hooks including a curved shape, a sharpened tip, and a plurality of electrodes. A controller, user interface, power source and power output unit are provided along the pole. The power output unit receives power from the power source and sends amplified power to the plurality of electrodes based on a command from the user interface. The power discharged by the electrodes functions to stun and immobilize a fish for between about 1 and 3 minutes. A spike is provided along the distal end of the pole and includes a plurality of apertures forming a channel for receiving an elongated wire to euthanize and perform ike jime on the stunned fish.