Ice Fishing Tip-Up with Moveable Spool Post and Signaling Switch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice fishing tip-ups face challenges in ease of setup, freezing prevention, and effective signaling mechanisms, particularly in harsh winter conditions, with devices often being cumbersome and lacking efficient ways to indicate a hooked fish.
Innovation Solution
A modular ice fishing device with a teepee or tripod frame, a moveable spool post, and a signaling mechanism that activates upon line tension, featuring adjustable legs, a fabric cover for protection, and various signaling options like flags and lights, which can be easily set up and collapsed for storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional ice fishing tip-up device is used, then the fishing function is provided, but the device is cumbersome and difficult to set up
Solution Approach 1:
The tip-up device is divided into separate modular components including a frame assembly, spool assembly, signaling assembly, and cover assembly that can be independently handled and quickly connected. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall setup process by reducing the need to manipulate a single complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool post is designed to be moveable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic feature enables the spool to be positioned inside the frame during setup and transport, then extended during operation, thereby reducing device complexity during setup while maintaining full functionality during use.
2Reliability
If the spool is positioned inside the frame, then freezing is prevented, but the spool cannot extend past the legs for proper fishing operation
Solution Approach 1:
The spool post is designed as a moveable component that can transition between retracted and extended positions. During non-operational states, the spool is retracted inside the frame to prevent freezing. During fishing operations, the spool post extends past the legs to allow proper line deployment and retrieval. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction by providing both protection and functionality at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool is pre-positioned inside the frame during setup and transport to establish protection against freezing before fishing begins. The moveable spool post allows this preliminary protective positioning to be maintained until operation is needed, at which point the spool can be extended without requiring complete reconfiguration of the device.
3Reliability
If a simple flag signaling mechanism is used, then the device structure is simple, but it lacks effectiveness in harsh winter conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The signaling assembly combines multiple signaling methods including visual flags, auditory bells, and electronic lighting components into a single integrated assembly. This merging allows the device to provide reliable signaling through multiple channels simultaneously, ensuring that at least one method remains effective in various harsh winter conditions while maintaining a unified structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The signaling assembly is designed to perform multiple functions: visual signaling via flags and lights, auditory signaling via bells, and potential electronic communication. This multi-functionality ensures that the signaling system remains effective across different environmental conditions (snow, darkness, wind) without requiring separate signaling devices, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the device components are fixed together, then structural stability is maintained, but the device cannot be easily collapsed for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The frame components are connected through movable joints and articulations rather than fixed rigid connections. These dynamic connections allow the frame to maintain a stable tetrahedral structure during operation while enabling controlled collapse into a compact configuration for storage. The moveable spool post also contributes to this by retracting inside the frame during collapse.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool assembly is designed to nest inside the frame structure when not in use, with the moveable spool post allowing the spool to be positioned within the interior space defined by the frame legs. This nesting arrangement reduces the overall storage volume while maintaining structural integrity during operation, as the spool can be extended when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
An ice fishing tip-up is described that is adapted to rest on a sheet of ice surrounding a fishing opening in the sheet of ice. The ice fishing device has at least three legs, a moveable spool post, a fishing line spool attached at or near the water end of the moveable spool post, and a signaling device comprising a switch operably connected to the fishing line spool. Each leg is attached at one end to a top cap. The moveable spool post has a first and a second position. The first position of the movable spool post the fishing line spool is positioned in the interior defined by the legs and at the second position of the movable spool post the fishing line spool extends past the legs. Pulling on the fishing line spool activates the switch to trigger the signaling device.