Fly Fishing Strike Indicator With Sealed Air Enclosures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing strike indicators either disturb the water surface due to rigid materials, causing fish to flee, or lose buoyancy quickly due to porous materials that absorb water, leading to inconsistent performance in clear and shallow waters.

Innovation Solution

A strike indicator featuring a float with interconnected sealed air enclosures made from low-density polyethylene, providing balanced buoyancy and a soft landing, combined with a shaft assembly for secure attachment, allowing for adjustable positioning and minimizing water disturbance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If rigid plastic material is used for the strike indicator, then durability and air sealing are improved, but water surface disturbance increases causing fish to flee

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair sealingVSAvoidwater surface disturbance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The strike indicator uses a flexible membrane made of low-density polyethylene with specific thickness (0.05-0.15mm) and Young's Modulus (100-800 MPa) that allows the indicator to deform upon water contact, creating a soft landing that minimizes water surface disturbance while maintaining structural integrity and air sealing through the interconnected sealed enclosures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Object-affected harmful factors

If porous material is used for the strike indicator, then water disturbance is reduced, but buoyancy is lost due to water absorption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater disturbanceVSAvoidbuoyancy consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible impermeable membrane creates sealed air enclosures that prevent water absorption while maintaining the soft landing characteristics. The membrane's flexibility allows water disturbance reduction through deformation upon contact, while its impermeability ensures long-term buoyancy consistency by preventing water ingress into the air enclosures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The strike indicator utilizes trapped air within sealed enclosures to provide buoyancy. The interconnected air-filled chambers maintain consistent buoyant force without water absorption, allowing the indicator to reliably suspend the line at predetermined depths while minimizing water disturbance through their flexible, air-filled structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Strength

If thick rigid material is used for the strike indicator, then structural strength is improved, but water disturbance and fish alarm increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidwater disturbance

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The strike indicator employs a thin flexible membrane (0.05-0.15mm thickness) with optimized Young's Modulus (100-800 MPa) that provides sufficient structural strength to contain pressurized air enclosures while allowing the indicator to deform upon water contact. This flexibility creates a soft landing that minimizes water disturbance and fish alarm, contradicting the assumption that thicker rigid material is needed for strength

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

4Object-affected harmful factors

If foam or yarn material is used for the strike indicator, then soft landing is achieved, but reusability is reduced due to saturation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater disturbanceVSAvoidservice life

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible impermeable membrane creates a durable structure that maintains soft landing characteristics through its ability to deform upon water contact. The sealed air enclosures prevent water absorption, allowing the indicator to be reused indefinitely without saturation, unlike porous foam or yarn materials that lose buoyancy after brief use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 solution achieves consistent buoyancy and minimizes water disturbance, enabling effective fishing in clear and shallow waters by maintaining floatation without absorbing water, thus maintaining the line at a predetermined depth without scaring fish away.

Implementation Method 1

a float (12) comprising a plurality of interconnected sealed air enclosures (18a-c) that seal air therein to achieve buoyancy

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentUS11576361B2Fly fishing strike indicator having multiple trapped air enclosures

Publication Date: 2023.02.14 CUNIC STEPHEN WILLIAM

AI summary

The strike indicator includes a float formed from a plurality of sealed air enclosures, each of the plurality of sealed air enclosures including an outer membrane, each of the plurality of sealed air enclosures being entirely offset from the center of the float. The strike indicator also includes a line attachment device configured to secure a fishing line therein, the line attachment device being attached to the float and located in a center of the float between the plurality of sealed air enclosures. The line attachment device includes a threaded bolt having an L-shaped or V-shaped notch formed in its shaft, wherein a fishing line can be inserted in the notch to secure the strike indicator to the fishing line.