ARCHERY SIGHT WITH WEATHER PROTECTION

Abstract

An archery sight includes a cylindrical sight body which is open at both ends prior to assembly and has a longitudinal axis. Two lenses, one affixed to a front end of the cylindrical sight body and a second affixed to back end of the cylindrical sight body are clear (or can be tinted, as long as they can be seen through), hold a sight fiber in place between the two lenses. In this manner, the interior of the cylindrical sight body and the fiber situated within the interior and extending along its longitudinal axis are essentially sealed off from the elements but can still perform their sighting function. The lenses keep precipitation from getting into the chamber formed by the cylinder capped at both ends by the lenses.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved sight or scope for an archery bow to keep precipitation from interfering with the sightline through the sight or scope. More particularly, the invention relates to a scope which can include one or more sight fibers, and which is shielded from the elements by front and back lenses situated at the front and back of a sight body, creating a cavity in which the sight fiber sits and is useable as a sight while being free of ambient precipitation which may be present at the location where the sight is being used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Archery scopes and sights are well known in the prior art as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,308 to Khoshnood, which discloses a bow sight with an illuminated target pin or crosshair. A fiber optic filament is wound a number of times around the sight to collect ambient light and supply it via the filament to an end portion thereof which is attached to a pin or crosshair of the sight. The lit bow sight allows the hunter or archer to sight targets in low light environments.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,176,644 to Summers et al discloses an archery sight with an improved scope and sight pin arrangement in which the sight pins are adjustable.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,797,684 to Mason et al. discloses an archery sight which includes a shield element connected to a housing portion which can be moved to adjust the amount of light directed to the sight fiber to allow the brightness to be adjusted.

While the prior devices operate satisfactorily, most do not provide any kind of protection of the sight pin or sight fiber from rain, snow, fog, or other elements which can reduce the precision of the sight during use. U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,898 to Altmann et al discloses a hood-like cover that protects the sight from precipitation in a manner similar to an umbrella, but it extends outward from the sight and increases its overall profile, and it does little to prevent blowing precipitation from getting into the sight from the side. The present invention was developed in order, among other things, to overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior archery sights by providing an improved scope providing low-profile protection from the elements, and from all directions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide an archery scope including a generally cylindrical body through which a sight fiber extends. The body includes a mounting block attached on a side thereof and includes a threaded screw and nut arrangement to enable adjustable mounting of the sight to the bow as is known in the prior art.

The housing includes a cylindrical sight body which is open at both ends prior to assembly and has a longitudinal axis. Two lenses, one affixed to a front end of the cylindrical sight body and a second affixed to back end of the cylindrical sight body are clear (or can be tinted, as long as they can be seen through), hold a sight fiber in place between the two lenses. In this manner, the interior of the cylindrical sight body and the fiber situated within the interior and extending along its longitudinal axis are essentially sealed off from the elements but can still perform their sighting function. The lenses keep precipitation from getting into the chamber formed by the cylinder capped at both ends by the lenses.

In an embodiment, the present invention comprises an archery sight, comprising: a generally cylindrical sight body having first and second ends with a longitudinal axis extending thorough the generally cylindrical sight body and through the first and second ends; a first lens coupled to the first end; a second lens coupled to the second end; and a sight fiber engageable with said first lens and said second lens; whereby said first and said second lens coupled to said generally cylindrical sight body forms a chamber having an interior and an exterior, and said sight fiber is engaged between said first lens and said second lens within said chamber such that the interior of the chamber and the sight fiber inside it are isolated from the exterior of the chamber. In a preferred embodiment the interior of the chamber is hermetically sealed from the exterior of the chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a pin sight according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the pin sight of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It would be desirable to provide a pin sight that protects the sighting area from precipitation and related problems in the art.

As can best be seen in FIG. 1, the pin sight 100 of the present invention includes a cylindrical sigh body 102. A front lens 106 and a back lens 108 are seatable in the front end and back end of the cylindrical sight body 102 such that when they are so seated, an enclosed chamber is formed within the cylindrical sight body 102. Because the lenses 106 and 108 are transparent, they can be seen though so that the sight function is not inhibited.

A sight fiber 104 is situated between the two lenses 106 and 108 as shown in FIG. 1. To assure that the sight fiber 104 is held in place within the enclosed chamber, the interior side of each lens 106 and 108 includes a partial borehole 118 (shown on lens 106 but not shown on lens 108 because it is on the side facing away from the viewer) at the center of each lens 106 and 108 but that does not go completely through the lenses 106 and 108. The partial borehole 118 goes into the lenses 106 and 108 sufficiently to form a slot into which each end of the sight fiber 104 can fit, to thereby hold the sight fiber 104 in place, along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical sight body 102, when the sight fiber 104 and lenses 106 and 108 are in place on the ends of the cylindrical body 102.

Attached to the cylindrical body 102 are a mounting block 110 and a threaded screw 112, with a nut 114 situated between them to enable the pin sight 100 to be attached to a bow in a well-known manner.

To enable the lenses 106 and 108 to couple with, but not push inside of, the cylindrical body 102, each end of the cylindrical body 102 has a seat area that is formed by the internal diameter at each end of the cylindrical body 102 being slightly larger than the interior diameter of the remainder of the cylindrical body 102, and the lenses 106 and 108 are sized such that their diameters are essentially the same diameter as the slightly larger interior diameter of the cylindrical body at each end. The lenses 106 and 108 can be held in place by any known attachment means, including glue, or by including a threaded round frame (threaded on the interior of the frame) around each lens that is threadable on to the cylindrical body 102 (if the cylindrical body has matching exterior thread on each of its ends with which the round frame could mate).

In a preferred embodiment, a shade cover 116, with appropriate cutouts as shown so that it can couple to the cylindrical body 102 without being interfered with by the mounting block 110, is provided to encase the pin sight 100. In a preferred embodiment the cylindrical body 102 is made out of clear plastic or other similar material, and the shade cover 116 is opaque to block external light from coming in from the sides of the cylindrical body 102, thereby improving the sighting capabilities.

In use, the entire pin sight 100 is coupled to a bow as shown in FIG. 2, in the usual manner. The pin sight is used as is well known to aim at a target, and because the ends of the cylindrical body 102 are closed with the lenses 106 and 108, rain, snow or any other material are prevented from getting into the cylindrical body 102 and fouling the sighting area.

While there has been described herein the principles of the invention, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims, to cover all modifications of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An archery sight, comprising: a generally cylindrical sight body having first and second ends with a longitudinal axis extending thorough the generally cylindrical sight body and through the first and second ends;a first lens coupled to the first end;a second lens coupled to the second end; anda sight fiber engageable with said first lens and said second lens;whereby said first and said second lens coupled to said generally cylindrical sight body forms a chamber having an interior and an exterior, and said sight fiber is engaged between said first lens and said second lens within said chamber such that the interior of the chamber and the sight fiber inside it are isolated from the exterior of the chamber.