Heated game call

Abstract

This invention is a game call having a barrel, an insert, a reed and a heating element disposed within or on either the barrel or the insert of the call to heat a portion of the call.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/793,149, filed Apr. 19, 2006.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is an improved game call. Game calls are widely used to attract wild game for hunting or observation. Many of these calls, including duck, goose, deer, and predator calls, are designed to be held in a user's hand while air is forced into the call from the mouth of the user, causing vibration of a reed within the call. In many cases, these calls are used in cold temperature conditions. The cold temperatures may cause moisture from the breath of the user to freeze the reed to the adjacent portions of the call—resulting in either no sound or very unrealistic sound. This freezing of the reed is particularly an issue in situations where there are extended periods of nonuse of the call while waiting for game to approach within calling range.

In addition, in these cold conditions users need to keep their hands warm, and often wear gloves. The fabric of the gloves often has a noticeable and undesirable “muffling” effect on the sound of the call.

Game calls having a barrel, and insert, and a reed are well known. An example of this type of call is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,678. The terminology used to describe the components of the call may vary, but as used in this description “barrel” refers to the portion of the call contacted by the lips of the user and the “insert” refers to the portion inserted within the barrel. The “reed” refers to the vibrating, sound-generating portion of the call of and may be made up of one or more individual reed elements. Double and triple reeds are well known and all descriptions of a “reed” in this application are intended to refer to single, double, triple, or other multiple element reed assemblies.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,878,032 describes a prior art approach to addressing the issue of game call performance in cold conditions. This patent describes an insular wrap to be placed around the barrel of the call. A pouch is located within the wrap and a separate heat pack is inserted into that pouch to warm the call. Unfortunately, this device is awkward to use, adds significantly to the bulk of the call, and may affect the quality of sound made by the call. In addition, in this device the heat is applied to the exterior surface of the barrel. If the objective is to prevent freezing of the reed, the heat applied by this device must be inefficiently conducted through the barrel to the inner portion of the call where the reed is located.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a heated game call that prevents freezing of the internal portions of the call and, alternately or additionally, provides a source of heat to reduce the need for a user to wear gloves. One or more heating elements are located within or on either the barrel or insert of the call. Electric current provided by a battery energizes the heating element and warms the adjacent portions of the call.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, mouth-operated game calls are typically constructed with two primary parts—a generally cylindrical barrel (2) with a cylindrical hole through the center (4) and an insert (6) which is inserted within the hole (4) in the barrel. The insert includes a reed (8). As described above, reed (8) may include one or more individual reed elements. A hole through the insert (10) allows the passage of air through the insert and across the reed. The user blows into the end of the barrel opposite the insert, and the breath causes vibration of the reed (8) as it passes out of the call through the hole in the insert (10). Variations on this configuration are also used, and this invention in not limited to this particular game call configuration.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the barrel (2) of the call is made of a molded plastic material. A heating element (11) is disposed within the barrel (2) of the call. The plastic material is electrically nonconductive and the heating element may be located within the material without separate insulation. Suitable heating elements are well known in the art and generate heat as a result of the electrical resistance of the element. In this embodiment the heating element is molded into the barrel of the call at the time of fabrication of the barrel. Depending upon the desired application (preventing freezing of the reed, warming the user's hands, or both) the heating element may be located nearer the exterior surface or interior surface of the barrel. For example, in a freezing prevention application the element should be located nearer the interior surface of the barrel and should be approximately adjacent to the reed when the barrel and the insert are assembled.

Alternatively, the heating element may be attached to the interior surface of the barrel or to the surface on the insert. In this configuration the heating element should be covered with a water resistant coating.

Electrical current is provided to the heating element via wires (13), resulting in the heating of the barrel of the call. Electrical current is provided by batteries that may be contained within a compartment within a portion of the call or within in a cylindrical housing separate from the call. As shown in FIG. 2, the separate battery compartment (12) is attached to the same lanyard (14) as the call and is connected by wires (16) in the lanyard to the heating element in the game call. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the wire connecting the battery pack to the call passes inconspicuously through the lanyard. Lanyards made of rope, leather, plastic, and other materials are often worn around a user's neck and are used to hold multiple game calls, and this configuration makes it convenient to carry a suitable battery pack connected to the call. The size and shape of a battery pack containing one or two AA or C-cell batteries would be comparable in size and shape to a typical game call worn on a lanyard. The connection of the battery pack to the call may be designed to be easily disconnected and reconnected to facilitate changing of battery packs as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 2, a switch (18) is also provided to permit deactivation of the heating element without removal of the battery. Temperature sensors, regulators, and control circuits well known in the art may be included to improve control of the temperature of the call.

As shown in FIG. 3, in another embodiment the heating element (11) may be included within the insert (6) of the call. In this situation the heating element (11) would generally be intended to prevent freezing of the reed and the heating element would be located in a portion of the insert near the reed. The heating element could be molded within the plastic insert or could be installed on a surface of the insert that would be located inside the barrel near the reed when the call is assembled. In this embodiment the battery compartment (12) could be located in the separate housing described above or, as shown in FIG. 3, could be located within the insert. A small (AAA) size battery will fit within a game call insert without difficulty.

In using the preferred embodiment of this heated game call, the user wears a lanyard (14) containing the heated game call and the battery compartment (12). When the device is activated by inserting the battery in the battery compartment (12) and completing the circuit with the switch (18), electrical current passes through a heating element (11) molded into the barrel (2) of the call and maintains the interior of the call at a temperature above freezing, and, if desired, maintains the exterior of the barrel at a comfortable temperature. The user may hold the call in an un-gloved hand and, when he or she wishes to call game, blow into the barrel of the call to make the appropriate sounds. After calling, any moisture in the call does not freeze and the call remains ready for immediate use at the next appropriate time, even if the ambient temperature is below freezing and an extended period of time passes before game is again within calling range.

Claims

1. A game call comprising a barrel, an insert, a reed, a heating element and a battery compartment.

2. The game call in claim 1 in which the heating element is disposed within the barrel of the call.

3. The game call in claim 1 in which the heating element is disposed within the insert of the call.

4. The game call in claim 2 in which the battery compartment is located within the barrel of the call.

5. The game call in claim 2 in which the battery compartment is located in a separate housing.

6. The game call in claim 3 in which the battery compartment is located within the insert of the call.

7. The game call in claim 3 in which the battery compartment is located in a separate housing.

8. The game call in claim 1 further comprising wires creating a circuit connecting the battery compartment with the heating element.

9. The game call in claim 8 further comprising a switch for disconnected the circuit formed by said wires between the battery compartment and the heating element.

10. The game call in claim 5 further comprising a lanyard having wires disposed within the lanyard and connected to the battery compartment.

11. The game call in claim 7 further comprising a lanyard having wires disposed within the lanyard and connected to the battery compartment.

12. The game call in claim 1 in which the heating element is located on a surface of the barrel of the call.

13. The game call in claim 1 in which the heating element is located on a surface of the insert of the call.

14. The game call in claim 12 in which the battery compartment is located within the barrel of the call.

15. The game call in claim 12 in which the battery compartment is located in a separate housing.

16. The game call in claim 13 in which the battery compartment is located within the insert of the call.

17. The game call in claim 13 in which the battery compartment is located in a separate housing.

18. The game call in claim 12 further comprising wires creating a circuit connecting the battery compartment with the heating element.

19. The game call in claim 18 further comprising a switch for disconnected the circuit formed by said wires between the battery compartment and the heating element.

20. The game call in claim 12 further comprising a lanyard having wires disposed within the lanyard and connected to the battery compartment.