Method and Apparatus for Sensing Drag of a Fishing Line
AssigneeRayoban, Inc.
InventorsMark Rayor, William O'Banion
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic sensor employs a strain gauge controlled by a microprocessor on a circuit board. The processor operates software to measure electric impulses from the strain gauge and to convert them into digitally recognizable numbers. Software provides for calibration of the electronic sensor specific fishing rods. The software also controls an LCD read-out device to allow the user to preset a known drag resistance force in suitable units of measure on the fishing reel and to continually read out the amount of force pressure on the fishing line after hook-up so that a user can apply maximum pressure on a fish while fighting the fish without breaking the fishing line.
Claims6
Apparatus for measuring drag of a fishing line, comprising:
- a longitudinally elongated fishing rod having a reel with fishing line mounted thereon such that said rod flexes when pulling force is applied to said fishing line from an angle out of alignment with the longitudinal dimension of the rod;
- a strain gauge bonded to said fishing rod such that the strain gauge senses the degree of flex of the fishing rod and generates an output signal indicating the sensed degree of flex;
- a microprocessor that is in communication with the strain gauge, receiving an input signal responsive to said output signal from the strain gauge, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to processes said input signal to determine tension on the fishing line and to produce a corresponding readout signal of tension on said fishing line in a selected unit of measurement;
- and
- an output device that is in communication with the microprocessor to receive said readout signal and to express the tension on the fishing line in the selected unit of measurement in humanly perceptible form.
The method of determining utility fishing line drag for a preselected fishing rod by use of a sensor device including a strain gauge measuring flex of said fishing rod, a microprocessor receiving and converting inputs of measured flex into line tension and outputting said line tension in units of force, and an output device receiving said line tension and expressing line tension in humanly perceptible form, by the steps comprising:
- programming said microprocessor to operate in calibration mode by requesting benchmark values of line tension based on a target value and to receive and record inputs of rod flex associated benchmark values of line tension, and to operate in utility mode by receiving an input of rod flex and to output an associated line tension by derivation from said recorded benchmark values;
- entering the sensor device into calibration mode;
- inputting a target line drag to said microprocessor;
- receiving a programmed request from the microprocessor for said fishing rod to be flexed to a first degree, producing an associated first benchmark line tension readout lower than said target line drag;
- flexing the preselected fishing rod to said first degree;
- inputting said first benchmark line tension readout and associated strain gauge output signal to the microprocessor;
- receiving a programmed request from the microprocessor for said fishing rod to be flexed to a second degree producing an associated second benchmark line tension readout higher than the target line drag;
- flexing the preselected fishing rod to said second degree;
- inputting said second benchmark line tension readout and associated strain gauge output signal to the microprocessor;
- entering the sensor device into utility mode;
- flexing the preselected fishing rod to an unknown degree;
- and
- receiving on the output device an associated value of line tension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.