Fishing rod carrier and cover therefor

Abstract

A carrier unit for a plurality of fishing rods has a base from which first and second spaced apart legs project. First and second clip elements attach to and project from the first and second legs respectively. Each clip has a holding slot with an open end, for receiving and detachably retaining at least one of a handle portion and a rod portion of a rod assembly. The clip elements are mountable on the respective legs in approximate alignment with each other. The legs may comprise parts of first and second leg frames projecting from the base in the form of an A-frame and carrying four or more clip elements.

1 . A clip element for a rod carrier unit for fishing rod assemblies, said clip element comprising:
 a clip element body formed with,   clip arms extending from a first end of said clip element body formed with interior edges that define a rod holding slot, wherein a first end of said rod holding slot is open to permit said clip element to detachably engage with a rod assembly, and   a clip element attachment feature formed on a second end of said clip element body, wherein said clip element attachment feature is configured to engage with a frame attachment feature of said rod carrier unit.   
     
     
         2 . The clip element of  claim 1 , wherein said interior edges of said clip arms are formed with two or more concave, arcuate edge shapes. 
     
     
         3 . The clip element of  claim 2 , wherein said two or more concave, arcuate edge shapes have a decreasing radius of curvature along said rod holding slot from a distal end of said clips arms to a proximal end of said clip arms. 
     
     
         4 . The clip element of  claim 3 , wherein said interior edges of said clip arms are substantially mirror images of each other. 
     
     
         5 . The clip element of  claim 1 , wherein said clip attachment feature is comprised of a first flange and a second flange that define channels that are formed on each side of a flange connector that attaches said first flange to said second flange. 
     
     
         6 . The clip element of  claim 5 , wherein said second flange is an inner flange formed from said second end of said clip element body and said first flange is an outer flange formed at a distal end of said flange connector. 
     
     
         7 . The clip element of  claim 6 , wherein said first flange is small enough to pass through an enlargement at a first end of said frame attachment feature and said second flange is too large to pass through said enlargement and friction between said first flange, said second flange and an edge of said frame attachment feature causes said clip element to be movably retained on said rod carrier unit. 
     
     
         8 . The clip element of  claim 1 , wherein said clip attachment feature is a projection extending from said second end of said clip element body. 
     
     
         9 . The clip element of  claim 8 , wherein said projection of said clip attachment feature is configured to engage with a slot that forms said frame attachment feature of said rod carrier unit. 
     
     
         10 . The clip element of  claim 9 , wherein said projection is formed as a substantially t-shaped projection with an extension member that attaches a perpendicular flange element to said clip element body and said perpendicular flange element is configured to pass through an enlargement at a first end of said frame attachment feature and slide toward a second end of said frame attachment feature resulting in an interference fit between said frame attachment feature and said projection of said clip attachment feature that causes said clip element to be held on said rod carrier unit. 
     
     
         11 . The clip element of  claim 1 , wherein clip attachment feature is a groove formed in said second end of said clip element body. 
     
     
         12 . The clip element of  claim 11 , wherein said groove is configured to engage with a projection that forms said frame attachment feature of said rod carrier unit.