FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a video camera housing for attachment on a fishing line.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A number of video recording systems for filming the bait or lure while trolling are available, most incorporating a cable to the surface to transmit the footage.

Such data cables are not practical in fishing with a fishing rod, e.g. when casting, and there is a need for underwater cameras for filming bait without a data cable to the surface. One such example is the Bait Cam illustrated in Figure 1, more details can be found on www.baitcamera.com/products.html. This system is disadvantageous when used for trolling with a lure since the movements of the lure makes the camera shake and wiggle, leading to poor quality recordings. Also, the system does not allow precise adjustment of the filming direction of the camera, the camera is tiresome to mount and dismount since the wire leader has to be removed completely, it appears to have a maximum depth of only 25 feet, and it only works in conjunction with a large float.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an alternative to the prior art. In particular, it may be seen as a further object of the present invention to provide an underwater camera housing that solves the above mentioned problems of the prior art with stability during trolling, adjustment options, ease of attachment, and maximum depth. In a first aspect, the invention provides an underwater camera housing for a camera for filming bait during fishing and separate attachment means for attaching the housing to a fishing line, the housing having a front end with a transparent window for filming through, wherein the separate attachment means can be attached to a fishing line and the housing can be attached to the separate attachment means; wherein the housing with attachment means is elongated; and wherein a centre of mass of the housing with attachment means and camera in place is positioned towards the front end of the housing with respect to a geometrical centre of the housing with attachment means.

In a preferred embodiment, the housing has a guide with a tubular section having a slot along its length and the separate attachment means comprises at least one piece of tubing to be attached to the fishing line, wherein the tubular section has an inner shape and size corresponding to an outer shape and size of the tubing and wherein the slot is narrower than an outer diameter of the tubing and wider than an inner diameter of the tubing. Here, the tubing is meant to be attached to the fishing line by threading the line through the tubing or by threading the tubing on a rod that is then attached to the fishing line. Thus, in a further embodiment, the attachment means comprises a rigid rod to be attached to the fishing line, such as between two sections of the fishing line, wherein the tubing is fitted on the rod so that it is attached to the fishing line via the rod . The ends of the rod are enlarged so that the tubing cannot slide off the rod. In a second aspect, the invention provides a method for attaching the underwater camera housing and separate attachment means according to the first aspect to the fishing line, comprising the steps of:

• threading a fishing line through the tubing;

• fitting the guide of the housing around the fishing line via the slot; and · fastening the housing on the tubing by pushing the tubing into the tubular section of the guide.

In the embodiment where the tubing is threaded on the rod instead of on the fishing line, the method for attaching instead comprising the steps of:

· Fastening the rod between two sections of the fishing line;

• fitting the guide of the housing around the rod via the slot; and

• fastening the housing on the tubing by pushing the tubing into the tubular section of the guide. In a third, alternative aspect, the invention provides an underwater camera housing for a camera for filming bait during trolling, the housing comprising attachment means for attaching one end to a reel-line and an opposite end to a leader; wherein the housing with attachment means is elongated and preferably rigid; and wherein a centre of mass of the housing with attachment means and camera in place is positioned towards the leader with respect to a geometrical centre of the housing with attachment means.

In the housing according to the second aspect, the attachment means may further comprise at least one piece of tubing on the rod, wherein the guide of the housing is a tubular section having an inner shape and size corresponding to an outer shape and size of the tubing and having along its length a slot allowing a guide to be fitted around the rod via the slot, the slot being wider than a width of the rod and narrower than a width of the tubing. In this embodiment, the underwater camera housing may be attached to a fishing line by the following steps:

• attaching a reel-line to the attachment point in one end of the rod and a leader to the attachment point in the opposite end of the rod;

• mounting the housing on the rod by fitting the guide around the rod via the slot; and

· fastening the housing on the rod by pushing the tubing on the rod into the guide.

The guide and the tubing may be shaped so that pushing the tubing into the guide forms a large friction between the contact surfaces to guide and tubing. This may be obtained by the inner shape of the tubular section of the guide and/or the outer shape of the tubing being tapered. Also, the tubing is preferably formed in a pliable material. In a preferred embodiment, two pices of tubing are provided on the rod, each to be pushed into opposite ends of the tubular section of the guide. In a fourth aspect, the invention provides a method for attaching an underwater camera housing according to the above embodiment by the above steps.

In the present description, bait refers to anything that are attached to the far end of a fishing line for attracting fish, such as a lure, a hook, a fly, a spinner, a jig, etc. Often, it may also be of interest to survey bottom conditions, in which case the bait is substituted by a sinker. The fishing line conventionally consist of a long line to be rolled onto the fishing reel, herein referred to as reel-line or main-line, and leader, also referred to as a rig or a snell, which is a short section of fishing line connected between the far end of the main-line and the bait. There are innumerous leader and rig setups that may be attached to the front end of the attachment means in many different ways.

The camera to be held or integrated in the housing is preferably a camera for recording moving pictures. The placement of the centre of mass in the front end makes the movements of the housing through the water more stable, even when the bait is a lure simulating vigorous swimming motion.

In the following, a number of preferred and/or optional features, elements, examples and implementations will be summarized. Features or elements described in relation to one embodiment or aspect may be combined with or applied to the other embodiments or aspects where applicable. Also, explanations of underlying mechanisms of the invention as realized by the inventors are presented for explanatory purposes, and should not be used in ex post facto analysis for deducing the invention.

The underwater camera housing preferably further comprises a displaceable and/or an interchangeable weight positioned towards the front end or leader with respect to the geometrical centre of the housing with attachment means; wherein the weight can be displaced or exchanged to control the position of the centre of mass, and optionally the total mass, and thereby an inclination of the housing. This is advantageous since controlling the inclination of the housing in the water also controls the direction of the field of view of the camera. The desired inclination depends both on the bait (sinking, neutral, or floating) as well on the trolling speed, and the control of the inclination can be used to ensure that the bait is in the field of view. If performing bottom surveys, the field of view can be adjusted to be in front of the sinker drawn over the bottom.

The stabilizing effect may become more prominent the more towards the leader the centre of mass is positioned, the longer the overall length of the attachment means, preferably the tubing and/or rod, is, as well as with larger overall mass of the housing with camera. Therefore, the displaceable and/or interchangeable weight can also be used to increase the stabilizing effect of the set-up. It may therefore also be preferred that the centre of mass is positioned in the 40% of the housing with attachment means located towards the front of the housing, such as in the 30%, 25% or 20% of the housing with attachment means located towards the front.

The shape of the housing also affects its movement through the water when used in trolling, both in respect to drag and to the stability of the motion. Thus, an end of the underwater camera housing to be directed away from the bait, i.e. the end opposite the front end and thus the end typically pointing in the direction of motion during trolling, is preferably streamlined, such as torpedo-shaped or cigar- shaped or tapered. This is advantageous since it reduces drag. A further advantage is that it makes the movement through the water during trolling more stable and more rectilinear. Since the housing will often be drawn through the water in a direction which is not exactly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing, a bluff front end will have water streaming asymmetrically off its surface, thereby generating side-forces making the housing be prone to dive or surface. The front end of the housing is preferably flat and comprises the transparent window, and an edge between the end face and a side of the housing is sharp, i.e. not round or rounded. The camera will be filming through the window when placed in the housing, and the sharp edge provides the advantage of preventing or reducing turbulence in front of the window, which would blur the recorded images.

In a preferred embodiment, the attachment means comprises a rigid rod being longer than the camera housing and having attachment points for fishing line in each end, and wherein the housing has a guide to be fitted around the rod. The rigid rod is preferably longer than the housing means that the housing with attachment means will in this embodiment be longer than the housing alone.

Attaching the rod to the fishing line and then attaching the housing on the rod provides the advantage that the housing can easily be attached and detached without having to disassemble the line from reel to bait. The attachment point may be eyelets, preferably in connection with a swivel, for tying the line onto, or it may involve clips for fastening the ends of the rod onto the line. In a fifth aspect, the invention provides an underwater camera housing comprising at least a first housing part and a second housing part which, when being assembled, forms a closed, waterproof housing for a camera, the housing further comprising a transparent window in the first housing part;

· wherein the window and first housing part are formed in the same material; and

• wherein the first housing part has been moulded in one step wherein the

window has been embedded in the first housing part so that the first housing part circumferences the rim of the window on both the inside and outside of the window.

Having the first housing part and the window formed in the same material provides the advantage of a close bonding between the window and the first housing part being formed during the moulding, generating a very watertight seal. Preferably, the window and the first housing part are both formed in

polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Embedding the window in the first housing part during moulding means that the moulding of the first housing part with the window can be performed in one step, instead of the window having to be mounted in an opening in the first housing part with the subsequent need for fastening and sealing of the window. These features thus provides the advantage that the window can be watertight mounted in the same step where the first housing part is moulded, leading to fewer parts to be handled and assembled and an overall cheaper production process. The features of same material and embedded by moulding may also be applied as individual embodiments in the housing according to the first aspect of the invention.

The first and third aspect of the present invention may each be combined with any of the other aspects. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The underwater camera housing according to the invention will now be described in more detail with regard to the accompanying figures. The figures show one way of implementing the present invention and is not to be construed as being limiting to other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the attached claim set.

Figure 1 illustrates a prior art underwater camera for attachment on a fishing line.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 illustrate an underwater camera housing with attachment means according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figures 6A-D illustrate different uses of the interchangeable weights.

Figure 7 illustrates an underwater camera housing according to an embodiment of the invention in use for trolling.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the first housing part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 2 illustrates an underwater camera housing 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The housing has a first housing part 2 having a transparent window (now shown) in the end 3 to be directed towards the leader, the front end, and a second housing part 4 to be directed away from the leader, the direction of movement during trolling. When assembled as in Figure 2, the first and second housing parts form a closed, waterproof housing for a camera. The second housing part can be a plug in the first housing part, incorporating a number of O-rings to form a watertight seal.

The underwater camera housing comprises attachment means 5 for attaching the housing to a fishing line. The housing 1 with attachment means 5 as assembled is shown in Figure 3, with its overall length, L, being illustrated. The attachment means involves a rigid rod 6, in this embodiment made of stainless steel such as spring steel. In this embodiment, the rod 6 is either longer than the housing or it extends from the housing so that the assembled housing with attachment means is longer than the housing. In another embodiment, the housing may be shaped with a long, thin end part that eliminates the requirements of a long, rigid rod. The rod 6 has attachment points 7 and 8 for fishing line in each end, these can be eyelets for tying fishing line onto as in Figure 2.

The interior volume of the housing is designed to hold the camera hardware, including memory, battery and interface for data transmission, as well as to ensure a slight positive buoyancy of the housing with camera and attachment means. In order to reduce the drag of the housing during trolling, the housing is elongated and torpedo-shaped. One or more pieces of tubing 9 and 10 are mounted on the rod 6. The housing 1 has a guide 11 with a tubular or cylindrical section 21 with a slot 12 via which the guide can be fitted around the rod 6. The pieces of tubing 9 and 10 fits exactly into the tubular section 21, so that when the guide is fitted around the rod 6, the pieces of tubing can be pushed into the guide to fasten the housing on the rod. As the housing is typically moulded, the tubular section 21 will for production- technical reasons have a small tapering in one direction. A piece of tubing 9 or 10 made of a pliable material will in this case improve the fastening since pushing the tubing into the guide will squeeze the tubing securely between the inside of the guide and the rod.

In Figure 3, the eyelet 8 has be pushed or drawn into a piece of tubing 13 used to fix a holder 14 for a weight or sinker 15 as seen in Figure 2. The leader 16, that is the piece of fishing line leading to the bait, has been tied or clipped to eyelet 8, and the reel-line 17 has been tied or clipped to eyelet 7.

In an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 4, the tubing 10 is extended and thus longer than the tubular section 21 and fitted directly on the fishing line 22 (line threaded through tubing) instead of on the rod 6. Here, the tubing 9 is omitted, and the tubing 13 (and potentially holder 14) are mounted on the housing or lose. When pushing the tubing 10 through the tubular section, it will come out at the opposite and can be pushed into tubing 13 for fixation, tubing 13 having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of tubing 10. A small stopper bead 23 prevents tubing 10 from continuing through through the guide. Since the fishing line 22 is threaded through tubing 10, the camera can now glide freely along the fishing line, and may be fixated on the line by adding knots or beads on the line 22 before and after tubing 10.

The housing 1 and attachment means 5 described are designed so that a centre of mass (CM) of the housing with attachment means and camera in place is positioned towards the leader 16 with respect to a geometrical centre (GC) of the housing with attachment means, this is illustrated in Figure 5. There are numerous ways to achieve this weight distribution. In the embodiment described above, it is achieved by a number of parameters, including the position of the guide 11 on the housing, the section of the rod 6 onto which the guide is fitted, the length of the rod 6, and the total weight of the housing with camera in place.

A fairly precise estimate of the position of the centre of mass (CM) in relation to the geometrical centre (GC) can be made by measuring the entire length, L, of the housing with attachment means with a ruler and marking the middle as GC. Thereafter, the housing (with attachment means and camera in place) is balanced on a finger of one hand while supporting one end with the other hand - the finger is moved until balance or near balance is achieved, and the position of the housing with attachment means above the finger is the approximate position of the centre of mass, CM. The distance from the end of the housing with attachment means to be directed towards the leader to the centre of mass, LCM, can be measured. The percentage of the housing with attachment means in which the centre of mass is positioned towards the leader is LCM/L X 100. The stabilizing effect during trolling is a combination of the inertia of the housing 1 and the leverage of the rod 6 or extended tubing 10. An intuitive way of understanding the stabilising effect is to take a hammer, the hammerhead being the end towards the bait. No matter where one grabs the hammer, it is apparent that when one tries to wiggle the hammer, the shaft-end is easier to wiggle than the head-end, and the heavier the head or the longer the shaft, the larger the deflection of the shaft in comparison to the deflection of the head. This example is only illustrative, since the housing will not be grabbed, but float in water and be attached to fishing line in both ends. However, it follows that the larger the mass and the longer the rod, the more prominent the stabilizing effect will be. It is to be noted that under water, a larger mass can be compensated by a larger volume so that the buoyancy is not affected.

An additional stabilizing effect can be provided by stabilizers on the "tail" of the housing, as found on arrows or torpedoes. Such stabilisers would give a large drag for transverse or rolling movements in water, and thus provide an effect similar to the inertia of a larger mass.

Another parameter in the position of the centre of mass is the optional adding of a weight or sinker to the housing. In Figure 2, an extra piece of tubing 13 has a holder 14 made from a flexible and elastic material such as rubber or similar. A number of interchangeable weights 15 of different mass are provided and can be inserted into holder 14. This will change the inclination of the housing when attached to a line, and thereby the camera field of view. Figures 6A-D illustrate different uses of the interchangeable weights 15. Figure 6A shows the housing (attached to the line and camera) without an additional weight, where it is floating due to its inherent buoyancy. In Figure 6B, an additional weight 15 of 6 grams has been placed in holder 14, and the housing is now floating just under the surface. The inclination a is also illustrated in Figure 6B. Figure 6C shows the housing with an additional weight of 9 grams (left) leading to the housing sinking slowly and 12 grams (right) leading to the housing sinking more rapidly. In trolling setups with the same reeling speed, the housing with the 9 grams weight will have a smaller inclination than the housing with the 12 grams weight. In this way, the field of view of the camera can be adjusted to target the behaviour of the bait in use. The housing can also be used with a float as illustrated in Figure 6D with an additional weight of 9 grams (left) and 12 grams (right). The change in inclination is apparent.

Figure 7 illustrates the housing in use during trolling with a Glide Swimmer lure (top) and during bottom survey with a sinker.

When trolling, the buoyancy of the housing with camera and its off-center attachment to the line will normally keep the housing from rotating around its longitudinal axis. But, when jigging or when using vividly moving bait, rolling motions of the camera may occur. In order to avoid or damp such rotation around the longitudinal axis of the housing, the housing can be equipped with rigid wings along its side, formed to provide fluid-dynamical resistance to such rotary movement while little resistance to movements in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing.

Figure 8 shows a detail of the end of the housing having a flat end-face and a window. Here, the sharp edge 18 of the end-face and the side of the housing is made to reduce turbulence in front of the window 19 as mentioned previously. Figure 8 also illustrates how the window has been embedded in the first housing part 2 during moulding so that the first housing part circumferences the rim of the window on both the inside and outside of the window, see reference number 20. By having the window and the first housing part formed in the same material, the material bonds between the window and the surrounding parts of the housing becomes very close, creating a very watertight seal capable of withstanding depths of at least 100 meters.