Tip-up apparatus for ice fishing
View Patent ↗A tip-up apparatus for indicating when a fish has been caught on a fishing line during ice fishing includes a base and an indicator coupled to the base which moves from a retracted position to an extended position with respect to the base when a tripper assembly is actuated. The tripper assembly is actuatable by the fish pulling on the fishing line attached to the tripper assembly. A circuit is coupled to the indicator and is configured to activate a light emitter and transmit a signal to a remote electronic device when the indicator moves to the extended position. The base is collapsible.
1. A tip-up apparatus for indicating when a fish pulls on a fishing line, the apparatus comprising:
a base;
an indicator being coupled to the base, the indicator being movable between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the base, the indicator being biased toward the extended position;
a tripper assembly being coupled to the base and being engageable with the indicator to retain the indicator in the retracted position and actuatable to release the indicator from the retracted position;
a housing being coupled to the tripper assembly;
a light emitter being mounted on the housing;
a power supply being mounted in the housing and being selectively electrically couplable to the light emitter; and
a control circuit mounted in the housing and being electrically coupled to the light emitter and the power supply, the control circuit being configured to electrically couple the power supply to the light emitter when the indicator is positioned in the extended position;
wherein the base comprises a pair of support members, the pair of support members being pivotally interconnected, each support member of the pair of support members having a first surface and a second surface opposing each other, the base being positionable in a deployed configuration wherein the first surfaces of the air of support members are coplanar with each other and extend away from each other, the base being positionable in a folded configuration wherein the first surfaces of the pair of support members face each other, the base being configured for positioning over a hole in an ice sheet when positioned in the deployed configuration; and
a latch being coupled to the base to retain the base alternately in each of the deployed configuration and the folded configuration.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of first surfaces of the pair of support members abut each other when the base is positioned in the folded configuration.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprises a battery.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit includes a mercury tilt switch.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver being electrically coupled to the control circuit wherein the control circuit is configured for wirelessly communicating a signal indicative of the fish pulling on the fishing line to a remote electronic device, the control circuit communicating the signal when the indicator is positioned in the extended position.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a hook mounted to one of the pair of support members of the base and a protrusion mounted to another of the pair of support members, the hook and the protrusion being positioned relative to each other such that the hook and the protrusion are engageable with each other when the base is positioned alternately in the deployed configuration and the folded configuration.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a magnet being coupled to the base, the magnet being configured to have a fishhook magnetically adhered to the magnet.
8. A tip-up apparatus for indicating when a fish pulls on a fishing line, the apparatus comprising:
a base;
an indicator being coupled to the base, the indicator being movable between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the base, the indicator being biased toward the extended position;
a tripper assembly being coupled to the base and being engageable with the indicator to retain the indicator in the retracted position and actuatable to release the indicator from the retracted position;
a housing being coupled to the tripper assembly;
a light emitter being mounted on the housing;
a power supply being mounted in the housing and being selectively electrically couplable to the light emitter; and
a control circuit mounted in the housing and being electrically coupled to the light emitter and the power supply, the control circuit being configured to electrically couple the power supply to the light emitter when the indicator is positioned in the extended position;
wherein the base comprises a pair of support members, the pair of support members being pivotally interconnected, each support member of the pair of support members having a first surface and a second surface opposing each other, the base being positionable in a deployed configuration wherein the first surfaces of the pair of support members are coplanar with each other and extend away from each other, the base being positionable in a folded configuration wherein the first surfaces of the pair of support members face each other, the base being configured for positioning over a hole in an ice sheet when positioned in the deployed configuration;
wherein the indicator comprises:
a resiliently bendable member being coupled to and extending away from the second surface of one of the plurality of support members of the base when the indicator is in the extended position, the resiliently bending member biasing the indicator toward the extended position;
a rod being coupled to the resiliently bendable member opposite the base and extending away from the base when the indicator is in the extended position, the resiliently bendable member being bendable to position a distal end of the rod with respect to the base adjacent to the base when the indicator is in the retracted position; and
a catch being coupled to the rod for retaining the indicator in the retracted position;
wherein the tripper assembly comprises:
an arm being coupled to and extending away from the base, the arm being rotatable around a rotational axis intersecting the base, the arm extending away from the second surfaces of the pair of support members when the base is positioned in the deployed configuration;
an engagement member being coupled to a proximal end of the arm with respect to the base, the engagement member being engageable with the catch of the indicator to retain the indicator in the retracted position, the engagement member disengaging the catch when the arm is rotated about the rotational axis; and
a spool being rotatably coupled to a distal end of the arm with respect to the base, the spool being configured for holding the fishing line in a wound condition; and
wherein each support member of the pair of support members of the base has an opening for accommodating the tripper assembly when the base is positioned in the folded configuration.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the resiliently bendable member comprises a tension spring.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the indicator further comprises an alert member being coupled to the rod adjacent to the distal end of the rod, the alert member being visually prominent with respect to the rod.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the alert member comprises a flag.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the spool is rotatable around a spool axis which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the arm.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the tripper assembly further comprises a line guide being coupled to the arm and being positioned adjacent to the spool, the line guide forming a loop configured for receiving the fishing line to facilitate inhibiting tangling of the fishing line.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the housing is positioned on the distal end of the rod.
15. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a storage hook being coupled to the base, the storage hook being positioned such that the catch of the indicator is engageable with the storage hook to retain the indicator in the retracted position when the base is positioned in the folded configuration.
16. A tip-up apparatus for indicating when a fish pulls on a fishing line, the apparatus comprising:
a base;
an indicator being coupled to the base, the indicator being movable between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the base, the indicator being biased toward the extended position;
a tripper assembly being coupled to the base and being engageable with the indicator to retain the indicator in the retracted position and actuatable to release the indicator from the retracted position;
a housing being coupled to the tripper assembly;
a light emitter being mounted on the housing;
a power supply being mounted in the housing and being selectively electrically couplable to the light emitter; and
a control circuit mounted in the housing and being electrically coupled to the light emitter and the power supply, the control circuit being configured to electrically couple the power supply to the light emitter when the indicator is positioned in the extended position;
wherein the base comprises a pair of support members, the pair of support members being pivotally interconnected, each support member of the pair of support members having a first surface and a second surface opposing each other, the base being positionable in a deployed configuration wherein the first surfaces of the pair of support members are coplanar with each other and extend away from each other, the base being positionable in a folded configuration wherein the first surfaces of the pair of support members face each other, the base being configured for positioning over a hole in an ice sheet when positioned in the deployed configuration; and
a pair of magnets being coupled to the base, each magnet of the pair of magnets being positioned in the first surface of an associated one of the pair of support members, each magnet of the pair of magnets being configured to have a fishhook magnetically adhered to the magnet.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
the indicator comprising:
a resiliently bendable member being coupled to and extending away from the second surface of one of the plurality of support members of the base when the indicator is in the extended position, the resiliently bending member biasing the indicator toward the extended position, the resiliently bendable member comprising a tension spring;
a rod being coupled to the resiliently bendable member opposite the base and extending away from the base when the indicator is in the extended position, the resiliently bendable member being bendable to position a distal end of the rod with respect to the base adjacent to the base when the indicator is in the retracted position;
an alert member being coupled to the rod adjacent to the distal end of the rod, the alert member being visually prominent with respect to the rod, the alert member comprising a flag; and
a catch being coupled to the rod for retaining the indicator in the retracted position;
the tripper assembly comprising:
an arm being coupled to and extending away from the base, the arm being rotatable around a rotational axis intersecting the base, the arm extending away from the second surfaces of the pair of support members when the base is positioned in the deployed configuration;
an engagement member being coupled to a proximal end of the arm with respect to the base, the engagement member being engageable with the catch of the indicator to retain the indicator in the retracted position, the engagement member disengaging the catch when the arm is rotated about the rotational axis;
a spool being rotatably coupled to a distal end of the arm with respect to the base, the spool being configured for holding the fishing line in a wound condition, the spool being rotatable around a spool axis which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the arm; and
a line guide being coupled to the arm and being positioned adjacent to the spool, the line guide forming a loop configured for receiving the fishing line to facilitate inhibiting tangling of the fishing line;
each support member of the pair of support members of the base having an opening for accommodating the tripper assembly when the base is positioned in the folded configuration;
the housing being positioned on the distal end of the rod;
the power supply comprising a battery;
the control circuit including a mercury tilt switch;
a transceiver being electrically coupled to the control circuit wherein the control circuit is configured for wirelessly communicating a signal indicative of the fish pulling on the fishing line to a remote electronic device, the control circuit communicating the signal when the indicator is positioned in the extended position;
a storage hook being coupled to the base, the storage hook being positioned such that the catch of the indicator is engageable with the storage hook to retain the indicator in the retracted position when the base is positioned in the folded configuration; and
a latch being coupled to the base to retain the base alternately in each of the deployed configuration and the folded configuration, the latch comprising a hook mounted to one of the pair of support members of the base and a protrusion mounted to another of the pair of support members, the hook and the protrusion being positioned relative to each other such that the hook and the protrusion are engageable with each other when the base is positioned alternately in the deployed configuration and the folded configuration.