Fishing Lure With Static Reflective Blade for Sonar Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fishing lures often provide insignificant or minimal sonar returns, especially when constructed from less dense materials, and rotating blades increase drag and decrease weedlessness, making them difficult to detect on forward-facing sonar and affect lure performance.
Innovation Solution
A fishing lure with a reflective surface comprising a flat surface and a statically affixed metal blade, constructed from denser materials, to enhance sonar and visual flash without altering retrieve characteristics or weedlessness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If rotating blades are added to a lure to increase visual flash, then the lure's visibility to fish is improved, but the drag increases and retrieve characteristics are altered
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using rotating blades to generate flash, the patent inverts the approach by using a statically affixed reflective blade that generates flash through the movement of the lure itself. The blade is positioned at an angle to reflect light toward fish, eliminating the need for rotation while maintaining visual attraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the rotation mechanism from the blade system, separating the flash-generating function from the rotating component. The blade is affixed statically to the lure body, removing the wire and swivel components that caused drag, while still achieving the desired visual flash effect through proper angular positioning.
2Illumination intensity
If rotating blades with wire and swivel are used to create flash, then visual attraction is improved, but weedlessness is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the wire and swivel components that are prone to fouling with weeds. The blade is directly affixed to the lure body in a fixed position, eliminating the moving parts and exposed wire that would otherwise become entangled in vegetation and compromise the lure's weedless properties.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a rotating blade mounted on a wire and swivel assembly, the patent inverts the mounting approach by securing the blade statically to the lure body. This eliminates the components that interact with weeds while maintaining the blade's flash-generating capability through angular positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If lures are constructed from less dense materials like plastic, then popularity and versatility are improved, but sonar return is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines less dense plastic lure body materials with a denser metal blade to achieve both versatility and improved sonar return. The metal blade provides the necessary acoustic reflectivity for forward-facing sonar detection while the plastic body maintains the lure's popularity and adaptability across different fishing scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the dense material in the blade component rather than throughout the entire lure. This allows the majority of the lure body to remain made of versatile plastic materials while the metal blade provides localized sonar reflectivity where it is most effective for detection.
4Area of stationary object
If sonar transducer is constantly rotated during fishing, then coverage area is improved, but lure detection is reduced due to minimal sonar return
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a metal blade with higher density to create a stronger sonar return signal that can be detected even when the transducer is rotating and the lure is on the peripheries of the sonar cone. The enhanced acoustic reflectivity compensates for the constant movement and varying angles of detection.
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 lure provides improved sonar returns and visual flash, enhancing detection on forward-facing sonar and maintaining lure performance, while maintaining weedlessness and retrieve characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
a surface reflective of sonar, light, or both
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of an improved fishing lure comprises a fishing lure body having an approximately flat surface on the top side or bottom side of the body and a blade statically affixed to the approximately flat surface. The lure body may include a recess having a wall and a base, wherein the approximately flat surface is at the base of the recess, and wherein around a portion of the perimeter of the recess at least one lip extends inward from the wall of the recess. The blade is preferably disposed in the recess and below the at least one lip. In some embodiments, the approximately flat surface has a float angle between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees relative to horizontal, and more preferably between about 35 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to horizontal.