Archery bow having improved design to absorb shock and reduce vibration

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to an improved archery bow having a greatly enhanced ability to absorb shock, vibration and sound. In order to achieve improved sound and vibration dampening, the bow riser, and optionally the bow limbs are coated with an energy absorbing and/or dampening coating. The coating is permanently attached to the riser and/or the limbs of the bow and greatly reduces undesired vibrations and/or noise generated by and during the archery bows use, without interfering with the performance of the bow. The invention also relates to treestands and archery accessories having a low noise profile.

Description

Claims

1. An archery bow comprising a riser having an enhanced ability to absorb shock, vibration and/or noise, wherein a substantial portion of the surface area of the riser of said bow is coated with an energy absorbing and/or dampening material, wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material comprises an elastomeric material, a viscoelastic material, a thermosetting polymeric material, or combinations thereof.

2. The archery bow of claim 1 wherein said bow is a compound bow.

3. The archery bow of claim 2 wherein said bow comprises a riser and an upper and lower limb attached to the upper and lower ends of said riser, and wherein in addition to said riser, at least one of said upper limb and said lower limb is coated with said energy absorbing and/or dampening material.

4. (canceled)

5. The archery bow of claim 2 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material is optionally crosslinked.

6. The archery bow of claim 2 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material is optionally crosslinked and is chosen from rubber, elastomeric polymers, elastomeric rubber, elastic and/or vinyl (co)polymers, rubber copolymers, polyurethane, viscoelastic rubber polyurea coatings, styrene-butadiene-styrene-, styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene, styrene-isoprenestyrene, polyisoprene, ethylene-propylene diene rubbers, chlorinated rubbers, nitrile rubbers, methylmethacrylate styrene-butadiene block copolymers, polybutadiene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, rubber acrylic (co)polymers, unsaturated polyesters, epoxy resins, vinyl ester resins, phenolic resins, polyether, polyester and polyurea urethanes, urethane-acrylic composites, and mixtures thereof.

7. The archery bow of claim 6 wherein energy absorbing and/or dampening material is crosslinked with a material selected from the group consisting of styrene, amines, vinyl toluene, hexamethylenetetramine, and mixtures thereof.

8. The archery bow of claim 2 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material is applied in the form of a coating, wherein said coating is formed in a single layer or in multiple layers, wherein said layers comprise the same or different energy absorbing and/or dampening materials.

9. The archery bow of claim 8 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material coating comprises an intermediate layer that comprises a stiffening material.

10. The archery bow of claim 9 wherein said stiffening material comprises aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, or mixtures thereof.

11. The archery bow of claim 3 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material additionally comprises one or more of a gripping additive, uv dampener, color tint, and camo pattern.

12. A method for reducing the shock, vibration and/or noise generated during the operation of compound archery bow, said bow comprising a riser and a upper and lower limb attached to the upper and lower ends of said riser, said method comprising coating a substantial portion of the surface area of the riser of said bow, with an energy absorbing and/or dampening material, wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material is selected from an elastomeric material, a viscoelastic material, a thermosetting polymeric material, and combinations thereof, wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material is optionally crosslinked.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material is applied in the form of a coating, said coating is formed in a single layer or in multiple layers, wherein said layers comprise the same or different energy absorbing and/or dampening materials.

14. (canceled)

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material coating is optionally crosslinked and is chosen from rubber, elastomeric polymers, elastomeric rubber, elastic and/or vinyl (co)polymers, rubber copolymers, polyurethane, viscoelastic rubber polyurea coatings, styrene-butadiene-styrene-, styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene, styrene-isoprenestyrene, polyisoprene, ethylene-propylene diene rubbers, chlorinated rubbers, nitrile rubbers, methylmethacrylate styrene-butadiene block copolymers, polybutadiene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, rubber acrylic (co)polymers, unsaturated polyesters, epoxy resins, vinyl ester resins, phenolic resins, polyether, polyester and polyurea urethanes, and mixtures thereof.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein energy absorbing and/or dampening material additionally comprises one or more of a gripping additive, uv dampener, color tint, and camo pattern.

17. A treestand having an enhanced low noise profile, wherein a substantial portion of the surface area of said treestand susceptible to generating unwanted sound is coated with the energy absorbing and/or dampening material.

18. The treestand of claim 17 wherein energy absorbing and/or dampening material is selected from an elastomeric material, a viscoelastic material, a thermosetting polymeric material, crosslinked elastomeric, viscoelastic, and/or thermosetting polymeric materials, and mixtures thereof.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material coating is optionally crosslinked and is selected from rubber, elastomeric polymers, elastomeric rubber, elastic and/or vinyl (co)polymers, rubber copolymers, polyurethane, viscoelastic rubber polyurea coatings, styrene-butadiene-styrene-, styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene, styrene-isoprenestyrene, polyisoprene, ethylene-propylene diene rubbers, chlorinated rubbers, nitrile rubbers, methylmethacrylate styrene-butadiene block copolymers, polybutadiene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, rubber acrylic (co)polymers, unsaturated polyesters, epoxy resins, vinyl ester resins, phenolic resins, polyether, polyester, or polyurea urethanes, and mixtures thereof.

20. (canceled)

21. The method of claim 12 wherein said energy absorbing and/or dampening material coating comprises an intermediate layer that comprises a stiffening material.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said stiffening material comprises aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, or mixtures thereof.

23. The archery bow of claim 1 wherein said coating is applied to the riser by dipping, spraying, or painting.