Patent Application
20250067535
The present invention relates to an archery accessory device that provides for increased stabilization and accuracy for archery bows.
The origins of the bow and arrow are prehistoric. According to Britannica.com, arrow points made from stone have been found at Sibudu Cave in South Africa dating back 61,000 years. Since that time, man has continuously refined the design and materials used to a make bow and arrow. This has led to the modern compound bows that are capable of hurling an arrow at speeds of nearly 350 feet per second. This has extended the theoretical range of the bow and arrow drastically but, in practice, the average hunter is limited to around 45 yards, simply because they are not accurate enough at any greater distances. The accuracy a shooter is able to obtain is affected by many factors including stability, hold time, and balance.
Every year, many game animals are left wounded by poorly placed shots from hunters using compound bows, longbows, crossbows, recurve bows, firearms, and muzzle loaders. This unfortunate fact is often due to the hunter's inability to stabilize their weapon to the degree required to make an accurate shot. While there are other stabilizing devices on the market that may be utilized in hunting, they are not universally used due to factors like their weight, not being attached to the weapon, and not being automatically deployable. In addition to this, a hunter's range is reduced by the inability to effectively stabilize their weapon.
The present invention solves these problems by stabilizing the bow via a monopod, preferably comprised of telescoping tubes, that is mounted on the bow and has solid contact with the ground. This allows the shooter to be much more precise in aiming the bow and allow greater accuracy. With greater accuracy, the shooters of a bow and arrow, including a modern compound bow, will be able to increase their effective maximum range.
Some devices have been designed in the past that have attempted to solve one or more of these issues, and some of these devices do help to some degree, but nothing has been made that solves all these issues without having other drawbacks that materially outweigh the benefits.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,773 to Minjares discloses an apparatus for supporting archery bows using a detachable and adjustable monopod support.
U.S. Pat. No. 11,060,657 to Ricor Outdoors discloses adjustable stands for supporting an archery bow.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,509,400 and 6,070,569 to Chalin disclose bow arm support stabilizer systems for supporting the weight of an archery bow.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,682 to Vanek discloses an adjustable monopod and quiver apparatus for use with an archery bow.
Among other things, none of the prior art discloses a monopod system comprised of telescoping tubes that uses a hydraulic or pneumatic braking mechanism to control the length of the monopod to accommodate the position and size of an archer and the terrain on which the archery bow is being operated.
The present invention for an archery accessory provides for significant improvements in an archer's accuracy and distance. The device supports the weight of an archery bow while the archer is shooting the bow and arrests the small movements that inevitably occur when an archer is holding a bow out at arm's length to fire it, thereby improving the accuracy of the archer. With improved accuracy and less movement of the bow, an archer can expect to be able to shoot much farther while still maintaining the needed level of accuracy, extending the archer's effective range.
The archery accessory of the present invention attaches to the riser of an archery bow. The riser is where the grip that the archer holds onto is located. Any limbs and accessories also attach to the riser.
The archery accessory is comprised of a monopod consisting of an outer tube and at least one inner tube whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of the outer tube. The inner tube can be extended out of the outer tube to lengthen the monopod to accommodate the height and position of the archer and the terrain the archer wishes to shoot from. There is an opening in the outer tube that exposes a portion of the inner tube.
There is also a braking system wherein a brake pad contacts the inner tube stopping it from moving. The resting position of the monopod is where the brake is engaged, and the inner tube is not moving within the outer tube. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the monopod should be able to support up to 50 pounds without the inner tube sliding back inside the outer tube. In the event that the monopod is comprised of more than two telescoping tubes, the brake pad in the resting position passes through holes in both the outer tube and the larger inner tube, pressing against the smaller inner tube, preventing any of the tubes from sliding relative to one another.
The braking system can be activated hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically. In the hydraulic configuration, there is a squeeze bulb containing a liquid solution, a length of non-rigid tubing, a piston cylinder with a movable piston rod, a lever, a fulcrum, and a spring. The elements are configured such that when the squeeze bulb is squeezed, the liquid is pushed through the length of tubing and into the piston cylinder, causing the movable piston rod to extend further out of the piston cylinder. The movable piston rod then makes contact with the outer tube causing the lever to move up and away from the outer tube. This causes the brake foot to also lift up and away from the inner tube and break contact with it, allowing the inner tube to move, or slide, within the outer tube. The spring is located between the lever and the outer tube. When the squeeze bulb is released, the spring re-engages the braking system by pulling the lever, and therefore the brake foot and brake pad, back onto the inner tube.
In the pneumatic configuration, the squeeze bulb contains a gas, such as air.
In the electric configuration, there is a switch that is mounted on the monopod that is able to be activated by a trigger. A battery is connected to the switch by a wire and a motor is connected to the battery by a second wire. A spool extends out of the motor and a length of cordage encircles both the spool and the inner tube. These elements are configured such that when the switch is closed, an electrical current activates the motor causing the spool to rotate, spooling the length of cordage onto the spool, causing the cordage to tighten around the inner tube preventing the inner tube from moving, or sliding, within the outer tube.
In the above configurations, the squeeze ball or the trigger should be mounted close to the grip. When the desired height or length of the telescoping tubes is reached, the squeeze bulb may be released or the switch closed, which re-engages the braking mechanism.
Rather than attaching the braking system to the monopod, it could be attached to a separate piece, called a base here, which then partially encircles, and attaches to, the monopod.
Also in the preferred embodiment, each end of the monopod is capped when in use. The cap on the bottom of the monopod makes the monopod compatible with any type of terrain, wet or dry. The cap on top of the outer tube of the monopod creates a vacuum inside the outer tube causing the inner tube to slide more slowly when the brake is released. There should also be a cap on the top of the inner tube of a type and shape that can stop the inner tube from sliding within the outer tube. The prevents the inner tube from sliding completely out of the monopod when the brake is released. In the preferred embodiment, the diameter of the cap is slightly larger than the diameter of the inner tube so that the inner tube cannot slide past the location of the braking mechanism.
The mechanism for mounting the monopod to the bow can be made from any variety of already-existing components such as universal mounts, swiveling clamps, swiveling mounts, Picatinny-style rails, spacers, mounting bars, machine screws, nuts, and wingnuts. In the preferred embodiment, the mounting mechanism should be made of a relatively lightweight, but sturdy, material and should be able to be assembled by hand, without the use of tools. The swivel components should allow for a 360-degree rotation, making it easy to mount the monopod onto almost any bow having endlessly varying designs and accessories. Additionally, more than one mounting mechanism may be attached to the bow in order to mount other accessories such as flashlights, range finders, additional stabilization devices, GPS units, fishing reels or other fishing accessories.
In the preferred embodiment, the monopod mounting mechanism has a base and a top, said top having a curved side capable of receiving a monopod ring. The monopod ring is attached to the curved side of the top of the monopod mounting mechanism. The monopod ring has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the outer tube of the monopod. To mount the archery accessory to the bow, the monopod is inserted into the monopod ring and the base of the monopod mounting mechanism is attached to a clamping mechanism that allows the monopod to be clamped to the archer's bow. The top of the monopod mounting mechanism may swivel on the base in order to accommodate different bow configurations and accessories. The monopod ring may be made of a flexible strap, metal, or plastic.
One example of a clamping mechanism is attached to the base of the monopod mount. The base of the monopod mounting mechanism attaches to a Picatinny-style rail. The bow is clamped between two rails lined with, or composed of, friction pads. Additional rails may be added to the clamping mechanism if desired, based on the configuration of the bow and other accessories.
In the preferred embodiment, the telescoping tubes are made of carbon fiber, which is a very strong material that is also very lightweight. Alternatively, the telescoping tubes can be made of aluminum, plastic, PVC, CPVC, ABS or other rigid material such as steel, plastic, fiberglass, or any material that is strong enough to support the weight of the bow. In any case, the brake pad material should have a high friction coefficient relative to the material used on the inner telescoping tube. For the carbon fiber configuration, the brake pad should be made out of vulcanized, siliconized, or gum rubber. The section of inner tube expected to make contact with the brake pad can be texturized in order to increase the friction coefficient.
As disclosed in detail here, the present invention is used to stabilize an archery bow. However, the device may also be used on a rifle, pistol, crossbow, muzzle loader, camera, or anything that would benefit from stabilization.
As used herein, certain terms have the following definitions:
An “archer” is someone who shoots arrows using a bow, also referred to as a bowman or toxophilite.
An archery “bow” may be a traditional bow, compound bow, longbow, crossbow, or recurve bow.
“Cordage” is a collective term for strings, twines, cords, straps, rope, and the like.
A “spring” is a device consisting of an elastic, but largely rigid, material bent or molded into a form that can return into shape after being compressed or extended. Spring designs include tension, compression, conical, spiral, helical, coil, torsion or leaf, among others.
“Tubing” is a length or lengths of metal, plastic, glass, etc., in tubular form, i.e., long, round, and hollow like a tube. It may be made from rigid or non-rigid material. The tubing may be made from one or more telescoping tubes.
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Whereas the figures and description have illustrated and described the concept and preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof. The detailed description above is not intended in any way to limit the broad features or principles of the invention, or the scope of patent monopoly to be granted.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/533,766, filed on Aug. 21, 2023, entitled “Archery Accessory” and the specification thereof is incorporated here by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63533766 | Aug 2023 | US |
