What is claimed is:
1. A break-away connector, comprising, along a longitudinal axis thereof, two connecting portions for connection with external devices, and a join portion joining said connecting portions together, one of said connecting portions being formed as a loop shaped body extending continuously circumferentially for 360, said body comprising:
a first portion joined to said join portion, and
a second weakened portion extending for about a half of an entire circumference of said body and having a material failure load smaller than those of said first portion, the other of said connecting portions and said join portion, whereby said body irrecoverably breaks at said weakened portion to disconnect the external devices upon administration to said weakened portion of a load higher than the material failure load thereof.
2. The break-away connector of claim 1, wherein a thickness of said weakened portion is not greater than 70% of a thickness of said first portion to ensure reliable break of said weakened portion.
3. The break-away connector of claim 2, wherein the thickness of said weakened portion is from about 50 to about 60% of the thickness of said first portion.
4. The break-away connector of claim 1, wherein the material failure load of said weakened portion is not greater than 70% of the material failure loads of said first portion, the other of said connecting portions and said join portion, to ensure reliable break of said weakened portion.
5. The break-away connector of claim 4, wherein the material failure load of said weakened portion is from about 50 to about 60% of the material failure loads of said first portion, the other of said connecting portions and said join portion.
6. The break-away connector of claim 1, wherein said weakened portion extends symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of said break-away connector.
7. The break-away connector of claim 1, wherein said connecting portions and join portion are integrally formed.
8. The break-away connector of claim 7, wherein said first portion, the other of said connecting portions and said join portion have substantially the same thickness which is greater than a thickness of said weakened portion.
9. The break-away connector of claim 1, wherein said connecting portions are separately formed and pivotably attached via said join portion so that said connecting portions are rotatable with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of said breakaway connector while remaining inseparable along the longitudinal axis.
10. The break-away connector of claim 9, wherein said join portion comprises
a frame attached to one of said connecting portions and having a through aperture;
a neck portion attached to the other of said connecting portions;
an enlarged head portion attached to the neck portion and sized to pass through the aperture of the frame so that the neck portion is received within the aperture; and
at least one washer of a L-shaped cross section having one branch interposed between an inner wall of the aperture and the neck portion, and another branch forming a stop preventing the head portion from being withdrawn from the aperture.
11. The break-away connector of claim 10, wherein the at least one washer includes two substantially identical washers.
12. The break-away connector of claim 10, wherein the neck portion and the aperture extend along the longitudinal axis of said break-away connector.
13. The break-away connector of claim 1, wherein the material failure load of said weakened portion is from about 100 to about 3780 lbs.
14. The break-away connector of claim 13, wherein the material failure load of said weakened portion is from about 500 to about 600 lbs.
15. A fishing line, comprising underwater gear, a surface buoy connected to said underwater gear via a buoy line, and at least a breakable link incorporated in said buoy line;
said breakable link comprising, along a longitudinal axis thereof, two connecting portions for connection with said underwater gear and surface buoy, and a join portion joining said connecting portions together;
one of said connecting portions being formed as an annulus having a circular cross-section and extending continuously circumferentially for 360;
said annulus comprising a first portion joined to said join portion, and a second weakened portion having a cross-sectional diameter smaller than that of said first portion, whereby said annulus irrecoverably breaks at said weakened portion to disconnect said buoy from said underwater gear upon administration to said weakened portion of a load higher than a material failure load thereof.
16. The fishing line of claim 17, wherein the cross-sectional diameter of said weakened portion is from about 50 to about 60% of the cross-sectional diameter of said first portion to ensure reliable break of said weakened portion.
17. The fishing line of claim 15, wherein said weakened portion extends circumferentially for from about 150 to about 210.
18. The fishing line of claim 15, wherein said first and second portions extend eccentrically and symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of said breakable link.
19. The fishing line of claim 15, wherein said connecting portions and join portion of said breakable link are integrally formed.
20. The fishing line of claim 15, wherein said connecting portions are separately formed and pivotably attached via said join portion so that said connecting portions are rotatable with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of said breakable link while remaining inseparable along the longitudinal axis.
21. The fishing line of claim 15, wherein the material failure load of said weakened portion is from about 500 to about 600 lbs.
22. The fishing line of claim 15, wherein said breakable link is located between at least one of said buoy and said buoy line, and said underwater gear and said buoy line.
23. A breakable link, comprising, along a longitudinal axis thereof, two connecting portions for connection with external devices, and a join portion joining said connecting portions together, one of said connecting portions being formed as an annulus having a circular cross-section and extending continuously circumferentially for 360;
said annulus comprising a first portion joined to said join portion, and a second weakened portion having a cross-sectional diameter smaller than that of said first portion, whereby said annulus irrecoverably breaks at said weakened portion to disconnect said buoy from said underwater gear upon administration to said weakened portion of a load higher than a material failure load thereof.
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 power saving method for a bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device in communication with a host, comprising:
providing a wireless communication protocol between the host and the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device;
establishing a bi-directional communication wireless link between the host and the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device through the wireless communication protocol; and
entering a power off mode when the bi-directional communication wireless link does not exist, wherein in the power off mode, a plurality of functional modules in the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device is in a non-operating state.
2. The power saving method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device further comprises the following operational modes: an initial mode, a working mode, a stand-by mode, wherein in the initial mode, the functional modules of the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device are activated; in the working mode, the functional modules are in the operating state; and in the stand-by mode, a part of the functional modules are in the non-operating state.
3. The power saving method as claimed in claim 2, wherein in the initial mode, the method further comprises:
attempting to establish the bi-directional communication wireless link;
entering the working mode when the bi-directional communication wireless link is established; and
entering the power off mode when it fails to establish the bi-directional communication wireless link.
4. The power saving method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:
entering the stand-by mode after a predetermined time since the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device does not receive a user operation in the working mode.
5. The power saving method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device further comprises an attempt link mode, when the bi-directional communication wireless link breaks off, the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device enters the attempt link mode to reestablish the bi-directional communication wireless link.
6. The power saving method as claimed in claim 5, wherein \u201cwhen the bi-directional communication wireless link breaks off\u201d, the method further comprises:
when the bi-directional communication wireless link breaks off, firstly entering the attempt link mode to attempt to reestablish the bi-directional communication wireless link at least once; and
when it fails to establish the bi-directional communication wireless link, entering the power off mode.
7. A bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device, comprising:
a plurality of functional modules;
a wireless communication module, comprising a wireless communication protocol, for establishing a bi-directional communication wireless link to a host through the wireless communication protocol; and
a power management apparatus, turning off the functional modules when the bi-directional communication wireless link does not exist.
8. The bidirectional communication wireless peripheral device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power management apparatus comprises:
a state machine, comprising:
an initial mode, for activating a plurality of functional modules of the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device, and establishing the bidirectional communication wireless link;
a working mode, in which the functional modules are in the operating state;
a stand-by mode, in which a part of the functional modules are in the non-operating state; and
a power off mode, for making the functional modules being in the non-operating state,
wherein when the bi-directional communication wireless link is established, enter the working mode; after a determined time since the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device does not receive a user operation, enter the stand-by mode; and when the bidirectional communication wireless link does not exist, enter the power off mode.
9. The bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the state machine further comprises:
an attempt link mode, wherein when the bi-directional communication wireless peripheral device fails to establish the bi-directional communication wireless link in the initial mode, or the bi-directional communication wireless link breaks off in the working mode or the stand-by mode, enter the attempt link mode to reestablish link.