PLANER BOARD ACCESSORY
An in-line planer board assembly incorporates hydrofoil designs at various key locations in order to maximize fluid movement efficiencies. Optionally, the planer board assembly further includes a spring-loaded fishing line release, also exemplified in a universal embodiment for use with other planer boards. Another option is a snap-in forward line release bracket useful when an angler wishes to fish from the opposite side of the boat, or for creating a smaller storage space requirement while storing the planer boards away between angling trips.
An in-line planer board is attached to a fishing line at some location between the tip of a fishing rod and a lure. The primary purpose in attaching a planer board to the fishing line is to use the planer board to pull the bait away from the angler, especially useful when angling for those fish that tend to be boat shy or shadow shy. An in-line planer board can be used when boat fishing or when river fishing. The only requirement is that the planer board functions to move away from the angler by virtue of water forces acting on the planer board either by trolling, by water moving down a river, or the angler walking along the bank while pulling the board along.
SUMMARYOne example of the invention disclosed herein is an in-line planer board assembly that has considerable hydrodynamic advantage by incorporating novel hydrofoil designs at various key locations in order to maximize fluid movement efficiencies.
A second feature disclosed herein is a spring-loaded fishing line release, also exemplified in a universal embodiment for use with other planer boards. It is advantageous to incorporate either integrated or universal accessory quick fishing line releases in order to maximize the time a lure can be in the water especially when angling during colder weather when hands can be sore or wet or the angler tired.
A third feature provides a snap-in forward line release bracket useful when an angler wishes to fish from the opposite side of the boat, or for creating a smaller storage space requirement while storing the planer boards away between angling trips.
A planer board assembly 10 includes a planer board body 12. The planer board body 12 may have an outer housing 13. The planer board body 12 has a leading edge 14 and an opposite trailing edge 16. An upper surface 18 is opposite a lower surface 20. A front surface 22 and an opposite rear surface are the largest surfaces of the planer board body 12.
At the leading edge of the planer board body 12 is a recess 24 adjacent an angled surface 25. The angled surface 25 extends at an angle from the leading edge 14 adjacent the rear surface to a point on the front surface 22 spaced away from the leading edge 14.
The planer board body 12 includes a lower foil 26 extending rearwardly from the leading edge 14 below the recess 24. The planer board body 12 further includes an upper foil 28 extending rearwardly from the leading edge 14 above the recess 24. The lower foil 26 and upper foil 28 will be described in more detail further below.
A front line release assembly 29 is secured to an anchor point of the planer board body 12 on the front surface 22 of the planer board body 12 behind the leading edge 14. The front line release assembly 29 includes a bracket 30 and a clamp 32. The bracket 30 includes a base 31 captured below two opposing tabs 34 and removably retained in place by a flexible tab 36. The base 31 can be slid past the flexible tab 36 under the opposing tabs 34 and retained in place by the flexible tab 36 which snaps into place behind the base 31. The clamp 32 may be pivotably connected to the end of the bracket 30.
Therefore, the front line release assembly 29 can be instantly detached and reattached to the planer board body 12. This reduces space requirements when storing the planer board assembly 10. A second advantage is that the front line release assembly 29 can be mirrored about its horizontal neutral plane and installed back into the planer board assembly. This is an advantage if the angler wishes to redistribute the force vectors that the fishing line imparts to the planer board by mirroring the location of the line clip either above or below the planer board's horizontal neutral plane. A third advantage is that the angler may optionally choose to quickly change and use a variety of front release clamp assembly which have a line release clamp with a weaker or stronger compression spring which is naturally advantageous to use a correct fishing line clamping force for varying fishing conditions.
A weight 40 (such as a lead weight) may be secured to the lower surface 20 of the planer board body 12. A slot 42 is formed in the trailing edge 16 of the planer board body 12 through the housing 13 below a rear line release button 44. A flag marker 46 may be secured to the rear surface of the planer board body 12.
A foil Z generates lift L primarily as a result of its shape and angle of attack a. When oriented at a suitable angle, the foil Z deflects the oncoming fluid, resulting in a force on the foil in the direction opposite to the deflection. This force can be resolved into two components: lift L and drag D. This “turning” of the fluid in the vicinity of the foil creates curved streamlines which results in lower pressure on one side and higher pressure on the other. This pressure difference is accompanied by a velocity difference, via Bernoulli's principle, so the resulting flowfield about the foil has a higher average velocity on the upper surface than on the lower surface.
Referring to
There upper and lower foils 26, 28 at the planer board body's 12 leading edge 14 provided for when the angler wishes to put the planer board assembly 10 on the opposite side of the boat which would necessitate the planer board body 12 being mirrored about its horizontal longitudinal mid plane. With the exception of the rear line release assembly 50, the entire planer board assembly 10 as seen in the illustration has an exact symmetry about its neutral horizontal axis. The planer board body 12 does have an exact symmetry about its neutral horizontal axis.
The function of each upper and lower foil 26, 28 is to counteract the rear tipping moment caused by the lure W being pulled. The upper and lower foils 26, 28 at the front extreme upper and lower edges will produce a moment arm that counteracts the lures moment arm in order to maintain planer board body 12 leveling during forward motion through the water. Then while in a relatively level position, the lift forces on each side of the leading edge foil 26, 28 remain approximately equal to create equilibrium on both sides of the foil 26, 28.
This option can be accomplished with the embodiment of
A second advantage of this feature is to prevent the planer board assembly 10 from unintentionally releasing from the fishing line when the clamping forces on the front and rear line clamps such as those used on traditional planer boards are insufficient to counteract the water forces on the planer board. Since the rear line release assembly does not function to rigidly clamp the line, if the front clamp were to inadvertently release, the line continues to remain retained by the cylindrical shaft 62 until the angler intentionally release it. This is advantageous as it prevents planer boards from being lost at sea.
The rear release assembly 143 is fastened to the rear of other in-line planer boards with fasteners as shown in
The assembly 143 has a spring-loaded cylindrical shaft 162 which retains the fishing line and which can be moved from a naturally upward position into a downward position. Referring to
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.
Claims
1. A release assembly for a planer board comprising:
- an outer housing having an upper jaw and a lower jaw spaced below the upper jaw, the upper jaw including an upper opening therethrough aligned with a lower opening through the lower jaw;
- an inner release pin biased to a position in the upper opening and the lower opening; and
- a release lever slidably mounted relative to the outer housing such that movement of the release lever toward the upper jaw moves the inner release pin out of the upper opening.
2. The release assembly of claim 1 wherein the release lever is configured such that movement of the release lever toward the upper jaw moves the inner release pin out of a space defined between the upper jaw and the lower jaw.
3. The release assembly of claim 1 further including a shaft slidably received in the outer housing and biased toward the upper jaw.
4. The release assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner release pin is formed integrally with the release lever.
5. The release assembly of claim 4 further including a stainless-steel cylindrical sleeve inserted over the inner release pin.
6. The release assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer housing includes a pair of apertures therethrough for securing the release assembly to a planer board.
7. The release assembly of claim 6 further including a pair of screws configured to be inserted through the pair of apertures for securing the release assembly to a planer board.
8. The release assembly of claim 6 wherein the outer housing includes an upper flange and a lower flange, and wherein one of the pair of apertures is formed in the upper flange and the other of the pair of apertures is formed in the lower flange.
9. The release assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer housing includes an upper flange and a lower flange, wherein the upper jaw and the lower jaw project rearwardly of the upper flange and the lower flange.
10. The release assembly of claim 1 further including a spring biasing the inner release pin toward the upper jaw and wherein the lower jaw is between the spring and the upper jaw.
11. A release assembly for a planer board comprising:
- an outer housing having an upper jaw and a lower jaw spaced below the upper jaw, the upper jaw including an upper opening therethrough aligned with a lower opening through the lower jaw, a gap defined between the upper jaw and the lower jaw, wherein the outer housing includes an upper flange and a lower flange, wherein the upper jaw and the lower jaw project rearwardly of the upper flange and the lower flange;
- an inner release pin biased upward to a position in the upper opening and the lower opening; and
- a release lever slidably mounted relative to the outer housing such that movement of the release lever toward the upper jaw moves the inner release pin out of the gap between the upper jaw and the lower jaw.
12. The release assembly of claim 11 wherein the release lever is configured such that movement of the release lever toward the upper jaw moves the inner release pin out of the gap defined between the upper jaw and the lower jaw.
13. The release assembly of claim 12 further including a spring biasing the inner release pin toward the upper jaw and wherein the lower jaw is between the spring and the upper jaw.
14. The release assembly of claim 11 further including a shaft slidably received in the outer housing and biased toward the upper jaw.
15. The release assembly of claim 11 wherein the inner release pin is formed integrally with the release lever.
16. The release assembly of claim 15 further including a stainless-steel cylindrical sleeve inserted over the inner release pin.
17. The release assembly of claim 11 wherein the outer housing includes a pair of apertures therethrough for securing the release assembly to a planer board.
18. The release assembly of claim 17 further including a pair of screws configured to be inserted through the pair of apertures for securing the release assembly to a planer board.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 14, 2022
Publication Date: Sep 29, 2022
Inventor: David L. Vergara (White Lake, MI)
Application Number: 17/839,663