Patent Application
20240247907
The present invention relates to archery bow slings, and more particularly to an archery bow sling including an integrated quiver that is removable with the sling from the archery bow.
Many archers and bow hunters transport arrows for shooting from an archery bow in an arrow quiver that is rigidly fixed to the archery bow. A quiver typically includes a mount secured to a riser of the archery bow with fasteners. Some quivers are designed with a quick release built into the hardware of the mount, so that the quiver can be rotated or mechanically released from the mount if desired by the archer to lighten or to balance the archery bow when being readied for shooting or hunting. When the quiver is removed from the archery bow mount, the archer sometimes may find it difficult to find a ready and secure place to store the quiver to quickly access it, and more particularly, to remove the arrows from the quiver.
To further ease transport of the archery bow and a quiver holding arrows mounted to the bow, some archers also use bow slings. Bow slings typically include a large continuous sheath that is commonly and simultaneously placed over opposing cams of the bow and over the bowstring, similar to an envelope. An elongated strap is stitched to the large sheath and configured to be slung over a shoulder of a user to carry the bow with its quiver attached to it. Many conventional slings, however, do not fit perfectly around the quiver, and sometimes can interfere with operation and removal or release of the quiver from the mount on the archery bow. Further, where the sheath is overly large, it sometimes can cover the arrows, so that the arrows are difficult to access and remove from the quiver. In other cases, the sheath can overlap and bend the arrows toward the bow over long periods of time, which may compromise the integrity and flight of the arrows.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement in the field of bow slings and arrow quivers to facilitate transport and protection of arrows and archery bows simultaneously, as well as to provide organization, protection and access of arrows from an arrow quiver.
An archery bow sling can include one or more cam covers that can cover respective cams of an archery bow, a base panel, an arrowhead hood extending away from a cam cover adjacent the base panel, an arrow retainer between the hood and another cam cover, the arrow retainer defining slots to receive one or more arrows, and a sling strap joined with the cam covers on opposing ends of the bow sling.
In one embodiment, the bow sling can be selectively removable from the archery bow with the arrows being carried and stored by a quiver portion of the sling and separate from the archery bow, which itself can be quiver-less. The sling can include cam straps that removably wrap around a portion of the cams and/or limbs of the archery bow to securely but removably secure the bow sling to the bow.
In another embodiment, the bow sling can include a fletching guard distal from the hood and configured to extend over fletchings joined with the arrows. The fletching guard can be elastic and/or can include elastic members that enable the fletching guard to be stretched and/or expanded to cover the fletchings and to be removed therefrom.
In still another embodiment, the sling can include a string cover panel that provides or forms part of a string compartment that receives and/or protects a bowstring of the bow. The string cover panel can include an interior surface and an exterior surface. The base panel can include an interior surface and an exterior surface. The string cover panel interior surface can face the base panel interior surface, but can be spaced therefrom to provide a string compartment configured to receive the bowstring of the archery bow.
In yet another embodiment, the sling can include an elastic panel joined with a distal cam cover and extending to or joined with the base panel. The elastic panel can stretch between the base panel and the distal cam cover so that the sling can be stretched at least along the elastic panel to place the respective cam covers over the respective cams of the bow. The elastic panel can contract and can be in tension between the cam covers to retain the cam covers in forced engagement with the respective cams.
In even another embodiment, the base panel can include a base panel rear surface. The elastic panel can include an elastic panel rear surface. The sling can be reconfigurable in a tree storage mode, in which the elastic panel rear surface is placed adjacent the base panel rear surface, and the cam covers, which were previously distal from one another, are placed adjacent one another. Optionally, the base panel and/or the elastic panel can include a fold in the tree storage mode. Arrows carried by the sling can extend outward beyond the fold in the tree mode in a cantilevered manner, with fletchings likewise extending beyond the fold.
In a further embodiment, the arrowhead hood can include a roof and a sidewall. The upper roof and the sidewall can form a cavity defining an opening facing toward the distal cam cover. The cavity can enclose or house multiple arrowheads when disposed in the hood, to protect the heads from the environment and/or the user from the heads. Optionally, the hood can be constructed from a rigid material, such as a polymer, composite, metal or other material.
In still a further embodiment, the sling can include one or more pull loops joined with the cam covers. The pull loops can be disposed adjacent an outer edge or rim of a cam cover so that a user can pull the cam cover over a respective cam upon installation of the bow sling relative to the archery bow. The pull loops optionally can be used as a connection point for a hoisting rope to pull the archery bow up to an elevated stand with the bow sling attached to the bow.
In yet a further embodiment, a method of using an archery bow sling is provided. The method can include providing an archery bow with cams and a bowstring moveable in a bowstring plane; installing a first cam cover to cover a first cam; installing a second cam cover to cover a second cam; extending a base panel between the first cam and the second cam, optionally offset from but parallel to the bowstring plane; extending a string cover panel over the bowstring between the first cam cover and the second cam cover; providing an arrowhead hood extending away from the first cam cover toward the second cam cover, the arrowhead hood being separated from the archery bow and unattached thereto; supporting the arrows within multiple arrow slots distal from the hood and defined by an arrow retainer located between the hood and the second cam cover; and extending a sling strap between the first cam cover and the second cam cover. A user can place the sling strap over a shoulder of the user to support and carry an archery bow with the bow sling.
In even a further embodiment, the method can include stretching an elastic panel between the first cam cover and the second cam cover to install the first cam cover and the second cam cover relative to the first cam and the second cam. The elastic cover can be stretchable between the base panel, which can be less elastic and/or more rigid than the elastic panel, and the second cam cover.
In another embodiment, the method can include covering multiple fletchings of the arrows with a fletching guard while the first and second cam covers are installed relative to the first and second cams. The fletching guard can include at least one elastic band, and a user can pull on the band to stretch it and deform it to be pulled over the fletchings.
The current embodiments provide an archery bow sling with an integrated quiver and related method of use. Where the quiver is integrated into the bow sling, an extra mechanical mount can be deleted from an archery bow to mount the quiver directly and mechanically to the bow. The sling itself can be elastic or rigid in different portions to enable the sling to fit over cams on the bow, yet still protect and provide a solid support base for the arrows relative to the archery bow. The arrow retainer can include the arrow retaining walls, which can properly and consistently support the arrows relative to the hood and to a base panel between opposing cam covers. Where included, the fletching guard can conceal and protect fletchings of arrows stored relative to the quiver.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiment and the drawings.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.
A current embodiment of the archery bow sling with an integrated quiver is shown in
The bow sling 10 shown in
As shown in
Optionally, one or more of the cam covers 21 and 22 can include loops 21L and 22L that extend forwardly from the front edges or portions 10F1 and 10F2 of the bow sling, and optionally forward of the respective rims 21R and 22R. These loops can be configured as pull loops and can allow a user to pull on portions of the cam covers to increase the overall size or dimensions of the cam covers, and/or to increase the overall opening length OL of the opening 100 to install the bow string 10 relative to the archery bow 100. The loops 21L and 22L can be in the form of a strip or loop of fabric, polymer, composite, metal or other material. The loops can be sized so that a user can insert one or more digits through the loop and pull on the loops to perform various functions. Each of the loops can be stitched, sewn, fastened or otherwise secured to the respective margins 21M or 22M of the respective cam covers and can be used to manipulate those cam covers to slide, move or otherwise be disposed over the respective cams. The pull loops 21L and 22L also can be durable and rugged enough to accommodate a pull rope or line for a user to attach thereto. A user can thus attach that pull rope and pull the archery bow 100 installed relative to the bow sling 10 to an elevated stand, with the weight of the archery bow 100 being fully supported by the bow sling via the pull loop. Of course, in some applications, the pull loops can be absent from the construction.
As mentioned above and shown in
The sling 10 also can include a sling strap 30 which can be secured to the first and second cam covers or other portions of the bow sling 10. The sling strap 30 can extend from adjacent the first cam 101 to adjacent to second cam 102, and can be secured to the bow sling adjacent those respective cams to provide a balanced and evenly distributed weight of the bow within the bow sling 10 when being carried by a user. Optionally, the ends of the strap can be disposed at other sections or at other portions of the bow sling 10, depending on the application and the shape or configuration of the archery bow with which the bow sling is used. The strap can be adjustable and can include sections of padding. Further optionally, each of the ends 31 and 32 of the strap 30 can include respective buckles 31B and 32B that can enable the strap 30 to be disconnected from the main body 13 of the bow sling 10. These buckles can be substituted with any type of quick connector, such as hook and loop fasteners, buttons, fasteners or other elements. In other applications, the strap 30 can be permanently secured and stitched to the cam covers 21 and 22 and/or a main body 13 of the sling 10.
The bow sling 10 as shown in
Optionally, in some applications, the base panel 40, elastic panel 50E and cam covers 21 and 22 can be a constructed from one or more continuous elastic or inelastic panels that extend from one cam of the bow to the other. As shown however, the elastic panel 50E can be separately constructed but stitched to the base panel 40 and the second cam cover 22.
The bow sling 10 can include an arrowhead hood 50 extending away from the first cam cover 21. The arrowhead hood can be configured to conceal and protect arrow tips 108 attached to the arrows 107. The arrowheads can be field points, broadheads, game heads, judo points and other attachments to the forward ends of arrows carried by the bow sling, which are all collectively referred to herein as arrowheads. The arrowhead hood 50 can include an upper roof 53, a side wall 54 and a rearward wall 55. The upper roof 53 can cover the uppermost extremities of each of the arrowheads and/or the arrows. The sidewall 54 can extend downwardly to cover any blades of the respective arrowheads. The back wall 55 can be disposed opposite the side wall 54 and can be secured with fasteners to a base plate 60 as described below with fasteners 55F, which can be in the form of rivets, screws, welds, fused portions or other constructions used to join one element to another.
The hood 50 shown in
With further reference to
As shown in
Each of the first wall 71 and second wall 72 of the arrow retainer 70 can include first 71S and second 72S arrow slots. These arrow slots can be elastically deformable and configured to receive and/or trap arrows therein. For example, the slots can be formed by lobed fingers 72L adjacent each one of the slots 72S, for example. The lobes 72S can form narrow portions NP of each of the respective slots and can open to wider portions WP having a greater dimension than the narrow portions NP of each of the slots. Thus, when an arrow is pressed past the narrow portions NP of the respective lobes 72 L, for example, the arrow can lock within the narrow portions NP of each of the slots to provide a secure fitment of that arrow relative to the respective wall and arrow retainer in general. This in turn can better secure and fasten the arrows relative to the arrow retainer 70.
The walls 71, as shown optionally, can be spaced a distance D3 from the arrow hood 50. The respective walls 71, further optionally can be spaced a distance D4 from one another. The distance D4 can be greater than the distance D3. In some cases, the distance D4 can be optionally between 2 inches and 24 inches, inclusive, between 2 inches and 12 inches, inclusive, between 2 inches and 6 inches, inclusive or other lengths depending on the length of the arrows 107. The first arrow slots 71S and second arrow slots 72S can be aligned linearly with one another and with the cavity 50C of the hood 50. This is so that the arrowheads 108 can fit within the hood 50, being concealed by the sidewall 54 and roof 53, while extending downwardly through the respective slots 71S and 72S of the respective arrow retainer walls 71 and 72. These arrow retainer walls also can be aligned to point toward the opening 94 of the fletching guard 90 and generally toward the second cam cover 22 such that the fletchings 109 attached the arrows 107 can fit therein.
Optionally, each of the first wall 71 and second wall 72 can extend perpendicularly upward relative to the plate 60 and particularly the second portion 62 of the plate 60. In some applications, these walls can be at a different angle relative to the plate 60. In further applications, additional third arrow retainer walls with respective slots, fourth retainer walls with respective slots, etc. can be added to the construction to provide further support to the arrows. With the current spacing and placement of the current retainer walls, however, it has been discovered that this provides adequate securement of the arrows 107 relative to the bow sling 100 yet still allows a user to easily remove each arrow from the quiver portion 68 thereof. This quiver portion 68 can include the one or more arrow retainers and/or the hood.
Further optionally, the hood 50 can be covered with a hood fascia or hood cover 56. This hood fascia 56 can include a portion 57 that covers the upper roof and side wall. This portion 57 can include a hood cover panel 58 that can extend beyond the hood 50, optionally along the base plate 60 as described below. In some applications, the hood cover 56 can be stitched along margins 56M to the base panel 40 and or the main body 13 of the bow sling. Further optionally, the hood cover panel 56 can include an arrow retainer hole 59H1′ that can fit around an arrow retainer 70 as described below so that the arrow retainer 70, 71 extends upward and through the hole 59H. This can provide a clean fabric fit around the arrow retainer. Optionally, the base 40 also can define holes 59H1 and 59H2 through which the arrow retainers can fit. Although not shown, in some cases, the hood 50 and hood cover 57 can be an integral, one piece unit. In other cases, the hood 50 can be uncovered and can simply be an exposed hood secured to the base panel 40 via a stitch, a weld, fasteners or other connections.
As mentioned above, the arrowhead hood 50 can be joined with the base panel 40, as shown in
Optionally, although indicated as different elements, the base panel 40 and the string cover panel 80 can form a single panel and/or can be part of a unitary piece. These components can be stitched, sewn, glued or otherwise connected along a rear edge or margin 10R of the bow sling 10. Alternatively, where these panels are one panel, they can simply be folded along a fold or bend along that rear edge 10R, and can extend continuously from one side of the bow sling to the other.
As shown in
As mentioned above, the elastic panel 50E can include elastic panel length EL. Due to the elastic nature of the elastic panel 50, the elastic panel length can increase or decrease by at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 20% or more to allow the overall length OL of the opening 100 to increase and allow the bow sling to be installed relative to the bow. The elastic panel optionally can be constructed from a one way stretch material, a two way stretch material, a four way stretch material or other types of stretchable material. The elastic panel 50 can in some cases be constructed from spandex, neoprene, elastic fabric or other stretchable and/or elastic materials. Further optionally, in some applications, the elastic panel 50 can be continuous with, or integral with, the respective string cover panel 80 and base panel 40 as well as the respective first and second cam covers. In this case, all of these panels and covers can be constructed from an elastic material that allows the bow sling to stretch in its length so that the opening length OL can be selectively modified or increased to fit and install the bow sling 10 relative to the bow 100.
As mentioned above, the bow sling 10 can include an optional fletching guard 90. The fletching guard 90 can optionally be sewn, stitched, fastened or otherwise connected to the elastic panel 50E, the string cover panel 80, and/or the second cam cover 22. As shown in
The bow sling 10 of the current embodiment can be installed and removed from the bow 100 to provide carrying and protective functionality, with an arrow quiver attached directly to the bow sling, rather than the bow. One method for installing and/or using the archery bow sling 10 can include: providing an archery bow 10 including a first cam 101 and a second cam 102 distal from the first cam with a bowstring 103 disposed between the first cam and the second cam, the bowstring moveable in a bowstring plane BP; installing a first cam cover 21 to cover the first cam; installing a second cam cover 22 to cover the second cam; extending a base panel 40 between the first cam and the second cam, offset from the bowstring plane BP; extending a string cover panel 80 over the bowstring 103 between the first cam cover 21 and the second cam cover 22; and providing an arrowhead hood 50 extending away from the first cam cover 21 adjacent the base panel 40, the arrowhead hood 50 forming a cavity 50C defining an opening facing toward the second cam cover 22, the cavity housing a plurality of arrowheads 108 joined with a plurality of arrows 107 extending toward the second cam cover, the arrowhead hood 50 being separated from the archery bow 100 and unattached thereto.
The method also can include supporting the plurality of arrows 107 within a plurality of arrow slots 71S, 72S distal from the hood and defined by an arrow retainer 70 located between the hood 50 and the second cam cover 22; and extending a sling strap between the first cam cover and the second cam cover. After the bow sling is installed relative to the archery below 100, a user can place the sling strap 30 over a user shoulder to support and carry an archery bow with the bow sling.
The method of using the bow sling also can include pulling on the pull loops 21L, 22L to increase the opening length OL and place the cam covers over the respective cams 101, 102 as described above. Further, the elastic panel or other elastic portions of the bow sling can be stretched or put under tension between the first cam cover and the second cam cover to install the first cam cover and the second cam cover relative to the first cam and the second cam. The method can include placing of the straps 21S, 22S around the respective cams and inside the respective bow limbs as described above. The strap 30 also can be attached and adjusted relative to the bow and bow sling as described above. Where desired, to provide further protection to the fletchings 109 of the arrows 107, the method can include covering the fletchings of the arrows with the fletching guard 90 while the first and second cam covers are installed relative to the first and second cams.
As mentioned above, the bow sling 10 can be operable in a tree storage mode or tree mode, in addition to the sling mode shown in
In transitioning to the tree mode, the elastic panel 50E and the second cam cover 22 can be moved upward in direction R, starting to form a bend or fold F within the respective panels of the bow sling 10. The rear surface 50ER (opposite the front surface 50EF) of the elastic panel 50E and the rear panel 22P2 of the second cam cover 22 can be moved in direction R. This movement can continue until the bow sling 10 achieves the configuration shown in
With the bowstring in this tree storage mode, a user can secure the bow sling 10 to a tree T as shown in
Although the different elements and assemblies of the embodiments are described herein as having certain functional characteristics, each element and/or its relation to other elements can be depicted or oriented in a variety of different aesthetic configurations, which support the ornamental and aesthetic aspects of the same. Simply because an apparatus, element or assembly of one or more of elements is described herein as having a function does not mean its orientation, layout or configuration is not purely aesthetic and ornamental in nature.
Directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “inwardly,” “outer” and “outwardly,” are used to assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the invention to any specific orientation(s).
In addition, when a component, part or layer is referred to as being “joined with,” “on,” “engaged with,” “adhered to,” “secured to,” or “coupled to” another component, part or layer, it may be directly joined with, on, engaged with, adhered to, secured to, or coupled to the other component, part or layer, or any number of intervening components, parts or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly joined with,” “directly on,” “directly engaged with,” “directly adhered to,” “directly secured to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between components, layers and parts should be interpreted in a like manner, such as “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent” and similar words. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular. Any reference to claim elements as “at least one of X, Y and Z” is meant to include any one of X, Y or Z individually, any combination of X, Y and Z, for example, X, Y, Z; X, Y; X, Z; Y, Z, and/or any other possible combination together or alone of those elements, noting that the same is open ended and can include other elements.
