1. A fishing rod assembly comprising a pair of fishing rods each having a fishing line connected thereto, and a jigging apparatus having:
a v-shaped spreader bar with a first connection point and a second connection which are both upper in use, the first connection point and the second connection point being configured to operatively connect with respective ones of the fishing lines, and a third connection point which is lower in use, spaced-apart from and interposed between the first connection point and the second connection point;
an L-shaped elongate member pivotally connecting to the spreader bar via the third connection point, having a weight-connecting portion extending downwards, when in use, relative to the first connection point and the second connecting point of the spreader bar and having a hook-connecting portion extending laterally outwards, when in use, relative to the weight-connecting portion;
a weight operatively connected to the weight-connecting portion of the elongate member; and
a hook operatively connected to the hook-connecting portion of the elongate member.
2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, further including a spool-like member disposed at the third connection point of the spreader bar, the elongate member pivotally connecting to the spreader bar by being coiled around the spool-like member.
3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein, upon jigging the apparatus, the elongate member is configured to pivot from a first position where the hook is disposed above the third connection point of the spreader bar to a second position where the hook is disposed below the third connection point of the spreader bar.
4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3, the apparatus being configured for jigging adjacent to a bottom of a body of water and wherein the hook is disposed above the weight when the elongate member is in the second position, the elongate member thus being configured such that the hook remains above from the bottom of the body of water.
5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein, upon jigging the apparatus, the elongate member is configured to pivot from a first position to a second position angular spaced-apart from the first position, angular motion being caused thereby for attracting and enticing fish to bite the hook.
6. The assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second position is angularly spaced-apart from the first position by an angle of 35 degrees or less.
7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hook-connecting portion of the elongate member is configured to remain angularly spaced-apart from the spreader bar by an angle in the range of 70 to 105 degrees relative to the spreader bar.
8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spreader bar has a first arm extending between a first one of the first connection point and the second connection point of the spreader bar and the third connection point of the spreader bar, and a second arm extending between a second one of the first connection point and the second connection point of the spreader bar and the third connection point of the spreader bar, the arms of the spreader bar being angularly spaced-apart relative to each other and being aligned in the same plane.
9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spreader bar is made of wire, wherein the apparatus further includes a spool-like member extending around the wire, the spool-like member being disposed at the third connection point of the spreader bar, the spreader bar having twisted looped portions at the first connection point and the second connection point of the spreader bar for operatively connecting with the fishing lines, and wherein the elongate member is made of wire, is coiled around the spool-like member and has twisted looped portions on the weight-connecting portion and the hook-connecting portion for the weight and hook, respectively, to operatively connect therewith.
10. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elongate member is resilient.
11. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hook-connecting portion of the elongate member is greater in length than the weight-connecting portion of the elongate member.
12. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spool-like member is pivotally rotatable relative to the spreader bar.
13. The assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the spool-like member is dumbbell-shaped and has a central cylindrical portion, spaced-apart enlarged cylindrical ends, and a central aperture extending therethrough, and wherein the spreader bar is disposed through said central aperture.
14. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 further including a plurality of swivels, the fishing lines connecting to the first connection point and the second connection point of the spreader bar via respective ones of the swivels and the weight-connecting to the elongate member via a further respective one of the swivels.
15. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the jigging apparatus is at least partially y-shaped.
16. A jigging apparatus for a pair of fishing rods each having a fishing line connected thereto, the apparatus comprising:
a spreader bar having a first connection point configured to operatively connect with a first one of the fishing lines and a second connection point spaced-apart from the first connection point, the second connection point being configured to operatively connect with a second one of the fishing lines;
an elongate member pivotally connected to the spreader bar and extending outwards therefrom; and
a hook operatively connected to the elongate member,
whereby, jigging of the apparatus causes selective pivoting of the elongate member and thus movement of the hook, attracting and enticing fish to bite the hook thereby.
17. A method of making a jigging apparatus for connecting together respective fishing lines of a pair of fishing rods to a single hook, the apparatus having a first wire having spaced-apart ends, a second wire having spaced-apart ends, a hook and a weight, the method comprising:
twisting the ends of the first wire so as to form looped portions for connecting to the fishing lines;
coiling a portion of the second wire around the first wire at a midway point of the first wire such that the second wire has a hook-connecting portion extending horizontally from the first wire and a weight-connecting portion extending downwardly from the first wire; and
connecting the hook to the hook-connecting portion and connecting the weight to the weight-connecting portion.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, the apparatus further including a spool-like member, and the method further includes, before the step of twisting, the step of:
inserting the first wire through the spool-like member to the midway point of the first wire; and
coiling said portion of the second wire around the spool-like member.
19. The method as claimed in claim 17, further including:
bending the hook-connecting portion and the weight-connecting portion of the second wire such that the hook-connecting portion and the weight-connecting portion are angularly spaced-apart relative to each other;
twisting the ends of the second wire so as to form looped portions at the hook-connecting portion and the weight-connecting portion, respectively; and
connecting the hook to the hook-connecting portion and the weight to the weight-connecting portion via the looped portions, respectively, of the second wire.
20. The method as claimed in claim 17, further including within the step of coiling:
coiling said portion of the second wire around the first wire such that the hook-connecting portion of the second wire is greater in length compared to the weight-connecting portion of the second wire.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A manipulable seat bolster adapted for use with a seat defining an exterior surface presenting a condition, and for autonomously changing the condition, said bolster comprising:
an actuator communicatively coupled to the surface, and including an active material element operable to undergo a reversible change in fundamental property when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal; and
a signal source communicatively coupled to the element and operable to generate the signal, so as to activate the element,
said actuator being configured to cause or enable the condition of the surface to be modified, when the element is activated.
2. The bolster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator further includes a stored energy element communicatively coupled to the active material element, the stored energy element is operable to release stored energy when the active material element is activated, and configured to change the condition, as a result of releasing the energy.
3. The bolster as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the source, operable to detect a condition, and configured to selectively cause the source to activate the material element, when the condition is detected.
4. The bolster as claimed in claim 3, wherein the condition is an actual or imminent crash event.
5. The bolster as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensor is a load cell operably positioned relative to the surface, and the condition is a minimum force applied to the surface.
6. The bolster as claimed in claim 3, wherein the seat composes a vehicle, the vehicle further includes a door adjacent the seat, and the condition is the opening or closing of the door.
7. The bolster as claimed in claim 3, wherein the condition is a minimum yaw or lateral acceleration rate.
8. The bolster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element is a shape memory alloy wire.
9. The bolster as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
a reconfigurable structure disposed within the seat, and modifiable between a plurality of structure configurations relative to the surface, wherein the condition is the geometric configuration of the surface, and each of the structure configurations causes the surface to present a different geometric configuration;
said actuator being drivenly coupled to the structure, and operable to modify the structure so as to achieve one of the configurations, when the element is activated.
10. The bolster as claimed in claim 9, wherein the structure is a flexible panel forming a bowed profile, and the element is a shape memory alloy wire drivenly coupled to the panel, and operable to cause the panel to further bow, when activated.
11. The bolster as claimed in claim 10, wherein the seat frame includes a sliding cross-bar, the panel is connected and the wire is drivenly coupled to the cross-bar, such that the cross-bar is caused to translate, and the panel is caused to further bow, when the wire is activated.
12. The bolster as claimed in claim 9, wherein the structure and element are integrally formed, and comprised of shape memory polymer material.
13. The bolster as claimed in claim 9, wherein the actuator includes a plurality of elements presenting a plurality of differing subsets, and each subset is configured to cause the structure to move to a different one of said positions when activated.
14. The bolster as claimed in claim 9, wherein the actuator includes a scissor assembly manipulable between collapsed and extended conditions and pivotally connected to the structure, said at least one element is configured so as to cause the assembly to shift between the conditions when activated, and the structure is caused to move between positions as a result of shifting the assembly between conditions.
15. The bolster as claimed in claim 9, wherein the actuator includes a folding assembly manipulable between collapsed and extended conditions and pivotally connected to the structure, said at least one element is configured so as to cause the assembly to shift between the conditions when activated, and the structure is caused to move between positions as a result of shifting the assembly between conditions.
16. The bolster as claimed in claim 15, wherein the seat includes first and second lateral bolsters cooperatively defining the surface, and having disposed therein first and second pivotal structures, the actuator includes a vertical rack and pinion, and a linkage mechanism interconnecting the structures, and a platform is fixedly connected to the top of the rack and configured to receive a resting load.
17. The bolster as claimed in claim 9, further comprising
a return mechanism drivenly coupled to the structure antagonistically to the actuator, and producing a biasing force less than the actuation force, such that the mechanism causes the structure to move to the first position when the element is deactivated and allows the actuator to drive the structure to the second position when the element is activated.
18. The bolster as claimed in claim 17, wherein the return mechanism is selected from the group consisting essentially of compression, extension, leaf, pneumatichydraulic and torsion springs, shape memory alloy wires operating in the martensitic mode, and shape memory alloy wires operating in the superelastic mode.
19. The bolster as claimed in claim 9, wherein the actuator further includes an overload protector connected to the element opposite the structure, and configured to present a secondary work output path, when the element is activated and the structure is unable to be moved.
20. A manipulable seat bolster adapted for use with a seat defining an exterior surface, and for changing the geometric configuration of the surface, said bolster comprising:
a moveable structure disposed within the seat, and moveable between a plurality of positions relative to the surface, wherein each of said positions causes the surface to present a different geometric configuration; and
a locking mechanism operable to selectively engage, so as to prevent motion in at least one direction by, the structure in each of said plurality of positions, and including an active material element operable to undergo a reversible change in fundamental property when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal,
said element being configured to cause the mechanism to move to one of engaged and disengaged conditions, when activated, and said structure and mechanism being cooperatively configured such that the structure is moveable in the direction only when the mechanism is in the disengaged condition.
21. The bolster as claimed in claim 20, wherein the structure defines a pivot axis, and the mechanism includes a ratchet concentrically aligned with the axis and fixedly coupled to the structure, and a pawl configured to selectively engage the ratchet so as to prevent rotation.
22. The bolster as claimed in claim 21, wherein the structure is causable to rotate about a rotation axis and defines a plurality of sloped teeth corresponding to the plurality of positions, and each of said teeth are operable to slidingly engage the mechanism in a first direction of rotation and catch the mechanism in the other direction of rotation, so as to enable relative rotation only in the first direction and hold the structure in a selected one of the positions, when the mechanism is in the engaged condition.
23. The bolster as claimed in claim 22, wherein the seat further defines a slot, a stored energy element and the structure are disposed within the slot, the structure translates within the slot and causes the stored energy element to store energy when caused to translate in a first direction, and the mechanism and teeth are cooperatively configured such that the stored energy element releases the energy and the structure is caused to translate in the other direction as a result of the stored energy element releasing the energy only when the mechanism is in the disengaged condition.
24. A seat having first and second manipulable seat bolsters cooperatively defining an exterior surface, and adapted to autonomously change the geometric configuration of the surface, said seat comprising:
a seat base configured to support the posterior of an occupant;
an upright configured to support the back of an occupant;
at least one moveable structure disposed within the base or upright, and moveable between a plurality of positions relative to the surface, wherein each of said positions causes the surface to present a different geometric configuration; and
at least one actuator drivenly coupled to said at least one structure, wherein each actuator includes at least one active material element operable to undergo a reversible change in fundamental property when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal,
said at least one actuator being configured to cause or enable said at least one structure to move to one of the positions, when said at least one element is activated,
wherein the bolsters are congruently moved by a single actuator.