US 7,124,533 B2Granted

Automatic locking landing net yoke

AssigneeFrabill, Inc.

InventorRyan J. Kleckner

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Abstract

An automatic locking landing net yoke includes a channeled ramp feature such that, when the handle is drawn through the yoke and the yoke slides over a spring button, the ramp forces or cams the button downwardly and into the handle. Toward the lowermost portion of the ramp is a hole such that, as the hole in the yoke slides over the spring button, the force of the button extends it upwardly through the hole. The spring button is never pushed completely into the handle because the backside of the yoke hole prevents the yoke from being extended to the point that the yoke slides off the handle. The yoke is also configured such that the yoke allows use with hoop and handle shapes of various configurations and is molded of a material that does not create any oxidation or corrosion between the handle and yoke, thus providing smooth operation between the two elements.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An automatic landing net yoke for use with an extensible handle and a net hoop, the handle having a distal end and a spring button disposed within the distal end, the spring button being depressible within the handle, and the net hoop having hoop ends, which comprises

a yoke body, the yoke body having a front face, an upper yoke body portion and a pair of opposing lateral yoke portions,
a handle cavity defined within the yoke body for receiving a portion of the handle within it,
a pair of opposing hoop cavities, each hoop cavity being disposed within a lateral yoke portion and to either side of the handle cavity, each hoop cavity being configured to receive a hoop end within it,
a yoke ramp defined within the upper yoke body portion, the yoke ramp comprising a yoke ramp opening defined within the front face of the upper yoke body portion, opposed interior sidewalls extending rearwardly of the front face, and an interior ramp surface, the ramp surface tapering downwardly from the front face, and
an aperture defined within the yoke ramp,
wherein the yoke ramp slidingly engages the spring button and the interior ramp surface forces the spring button inwardly of the handle as the handle is pulled through the handle cavity of the yoke.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.