US 11,278,034 B2 · Portable fish cleaning device

a platform having a drink aperture therein wherein said drink aperture is configured to have a beverage cup positioned therein for temporary storage, said platform having a tool aperture extending therethrough wherein said tool aperture is configured to insertably receive a pair of pliers for temporary storage, said platform having a plurality of hook apertures each extending therethrough wherein each of said hook apertures is configured to have a hook on fishing tackle positioned therein for temporary storage, said platform having a pair of storage holes each extending therethrough, said platform having a top surface, a bottom surface and a perimeter surface extending therebetween, said perimeter surface having a front side, a back side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side, each of said drink aperture, said tool aperture, said hook apertures and said storage holes extending through said top and bottom surfaces, said drink aperture being positioned closer to said back side than said front side of said perimeter surface, said drink aperture being positioned closer to said second lateral side than said first lateral side of said perimeter surface, said tool aperture being positioned between said drink aperture and said second lateral side of said perimeter surface, said tool aperture being elongated between said front and back sides of said perimeter surface wherein said tool aperture is configured to accommodate handles of the pliers having said handles abutting a bounding surface of said tool aperture thereby inhibiting the pliers from falling through said tool aperture, each of said hook apertures being positioned between said tool aperture and said second lateral side of said perimeter surface, said hook apertures being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along said second lateral side, said storage holes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along said back side of said perimeter surface, said bottom surface having a lip extending downwardly therefrom, said lip being aligned with and being coextensive with each of said first lateral, second lateral and back sides of said perimeter surface;

a pair of grapples, each of said grapples being removably coupled to said platform, each of said grapples releasably engaging a top pier rail wherein said platform is configured to be horizontally oriented on the top pier rail thereby facilitating a fish to be positioned on said platform for filleting the fish, each of said grapples being inserted into a respective one of said storage holes for temporary storage, each of said grapples having a first end and a second end, each of said grapples being elongated between first and second ends, each of said grapples having a bend thereon defining a rail space between a first portion and a second portion of said grapples wherein said rail space is configured to have the top pier rail being positioned therein having said bottom surface of said platform resting upon the top pier rail, said bend on each of said grapples being positioned closer to said second end than said first end;

a set of first retainers, each of said first retainers being coupled to said first lateral side of said perimeter surface of said platform, each of said first retainers having a curved portion extending away from said first lateral side, said first retainers being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along said first lateral side, said first portion of a respective one of said grapples being extendable through said curved portion of each of said first retainers having said rail space in said respective grapple being spaced rearwardly from said back side of said perimeter surface;

a set of second retainers, each of said second retainers being coupled to said second lateral side of said perimeter surface of said platform, each of said second retainers having a curved portion extending away from said second lateral side, said second retainers being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along said second lateral side, said first portion of a respective one of said grapples being extendable through said curved portion of each of said second retainers having said rail space in said respective grapple being spaced rearwardly from said back side of said perimeter surface;

a pair of legs, each of said legs being pivotally coupled to said platform, each of said legs extending downwardly from said platform when said legs are positioned in a deployed position wherein each of said legs are configured to abut horizontal pier rails thereby retaining said platform in the horizontal orientation, each of said legs resting against said platform when said legs are positioned in a stored position, each of said legs having a top end, a bottom end and a rear surface extending therebetween, said top end of each of said legs being pivotally coupled to said bottom surface of said platform, said rear surface extending downwardly from said bottom surface of said platform when said legs are positioned in said deployed position wherein said rear surface of each of said legs is configured to abut the horizontal pier rails, said top end of each of said legs being positioned closer to said back side than said front side of said perimeter surface of said platform, each of said legs being positioned adjacent to a respective one of said first and second lateral sides of said perimeter surface;

a plurality of beams, each of said beams being coupled to said bottom surface of said platform, each of said beams extending between said front and back sides of said perimeter surface of said platform, said beams being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said first and second lateral sides of said perimeter surface;

a locking unit being pivotally coupled between each of said legs and said platform, said locking unit being positionable in a locked position when said legs are positioned in said deployed position, said locking unit retaining each of said legs in said deployed position when said locking unit is positioned in said locked position thereby facilitating said locking unit to support the weight of said platform when said platform is positioned on the top pier rail, said locking unit comprising:

a member extending between each of said legs, said member being centrally positioned between said top and bottom ends of said legs;

a support having a pair of second arms each angling outwardly away from a first arm such that said support has a Y shape, said first arm having a distal end with respect to said second arms, each of said second arms having a distal end with respect to said first arm, said distal end of each of said second arms being pivotally coupled to said member having said first arm being directed away from said support;

a rod extending through each of said beams, said rod being positioned closer to said front side than said back side of said perimeter surface of said platform;

a shaft having a primary end and a secondary end, said primary end being pivotally coupled to said rod having said shaft being centrally positioned with respect to said front side of said perimeter surface, said secondary end being pivotally coupled to said distal end of said first arm of said support, each of said shaft and said first arm being oriented collinear with each other when said legs are positioned in said deployed position such that each of said shaft and said support lie on a line being oriented at an angle with respect to a line extending through said top and bottom ends of said legs, each of said shaft and said support being lying against said bottom surface of said platform when said legs are positioned in said stored position;

and

a tube being slidably positioned around said shaft, said tube covering an intersection between said shaft and said support when said legs are positioned in said deployed position for retaining said legs in said deployed position, said tube being displaced from said intersection between said shaft and said support thereby facilitating said support and said shaft to be folded to lie against said bottom surface of said platform;

a knife sheath being coupled to said platform wherein said knife sheath is configured to insertably receive a knife for temporary storage, said knife sheath being positioned on said bottom surface of said platform, said knife sheath having an open end for insertably receiving the knife, said open end being aligned with said front side of said perimeter surface of said platform;

a clamp being pivotally coupled to said platform wherein said clamp is configured to engage the fish for retaining the fish on said platform for filleting the fish, said clamp having a first edge and a second edge each extending in opposite directions from a pivot, said pivot being pivotally coupled to said top surface of said platform, said second edge having a plurality of recesses each extending toward said pivot to define a plurality of teeth on said second edge, said second edge being biased to engage said top surface of said platform wherein said second edge is configured to frictionally engage the fish, said first edge being manipulated to pivot said second edge away from said top surface thereby facilitating the fish to be positioned beneath said clamp or to be removed from said clamp, said clamp being positioned adjacent to an intersection of said first lateral side and said front side of said perimeter surface of said platform;

and

a ruler being coupled to said platform wherein said ruler is configured to measure the length of the fish, said ruler being positioned on said top surface of said platform, said ruler being aligned with and being coextensive with said front side of said perimeter surface of said platform, said ruler having measuring indicia being printed thereon comprising graduated increments of distance.

Portable fish cleaning device

Life of this patent

Portable fish cleaning device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11