This invention relates generally to accessories for archery bows, and more particularly to an arrow rest that captures an arrow shaft in a centered position during use, and which deflects during release of the arrow from an archery bow.
In hunting, 3D archery, and field archery, accuracy is of paramount importance. The presence of the arrow rest plays a very significant role in achieving accuracy in shooting. There are many factors in the operation of a compound bow which may be affected by the presence of the arrow rest. For example, even prior to launching or releasing the arrow from the archery bow, the arrow rest may fail to properly capture the arrow shaft during loading as well as during movement of the archer or while pulling back the arrow to a shooting position, and, consequently, the arrow may move around within the boundaries of the arrow rest or may even fall out of the arrow rest and disengage from the bowstring, causing damage to the archery equipment, possible injury to the archer and others, as well as creating noise that may scare off game. The failure to properly capture the arrow may also lead to inaccurate shooting as the arrow flies off the rest at an improper angle.
Moreover, prior art rests that may properly capture the arrow shaft may not be adaptable to different arrow sizes or diameters. The most popular diameters for arrows range from about 0.23 to about 0.37 inch. Thus, an arrow rest that may properly capture an arrow shaft having a diameter of 0.23 inch may not be able to accommodate a larger diameter arrow of 0.37 inch, for example. Conversely, an arrow rest that may properly capture a 0.37-inch diameter shaft may be too loose for a 0.23-inch diameter shaft.
As shown in
Likewise, in
Moreover, because all arrows are sized to bend slightly under the instantaneous load applied to the shaft upon release, the trajectory of the arrow can be altered by its deflection against the rest, especially if the rest is rigid or fits too tightly against the arrow shaft, as discussed above. Likewise, during release of the arrow, the archer may subject the bow to some inadvertent horizontal or vertical movement that is transferred to the rest and thence to the arrow, thereby causing the trajectory of the arrow to be altered. Finally, noise generated as the arrow shaft slides across the arrow rest can be sufficient to frighten game during hunting.
It would therefore be desirous to provide an arrow rest that overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an arrow rest assembly for connection to an archery bow and for supporting and capturing an arrow having an arrow shaft and vanes extending therefrom includes at least one support frame defining a space for receiving an arrow shaft, a post extending into the space for supporting the arrow shaft, and a plurality of support members connected to the at least one support frame and extending into the space. The plurality of support members are arranged to surround the arrow shaft sufficiently to define an opening having a predetermined size larger than the arrow shaft for capturing the arrow shaft therein and directing movement of the arrow shaft towards the post. The plurality of support members are spaced from the arrow shaft when the arrow shaft is supported by the post. The support members are arranged with respect to the at least one support frame such that at least one of the vanes of the arrow is adapted to pass through adjacent support members when the arrow is launched from the archery bow.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an arrow rest assembly for connection to an archery bow includes a first support frame having a first axis and a first support assembly having a first support member extending from the first support frame towards the axis. The first support member is adjustable toward and away from the first axis such that an arrow shaft axis can be aligned with respect to the first axis of the first support frame. A second support assembly has a second support frame connected to the first support frame with at least one second support member extending from the second support frame to form a central opening for receiving the arrow shaft. The at least one second support member extends around at least a portion of the second support frame to capture the arrow shaft within the central opening to thereby prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the arrow shaft from the arrow rest.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent upon review of the specification, including the detailed description of the invention, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.
The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be best understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements throughout the drawings, and wherein:
It is noted that the drawings are intended to depict only typical or exemplary embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof. It is further noted that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to
The exemplary arrow rest assembly 10 includes for example a closed annular support frame 12 with resilient support members 14 connected thereto. The support members 14 are circumferentially spaced around the support frame 12 and extend radially inwardly to form a central opening 16 within which the shaft 5 of an arrow 9 can be positioned. The support members 14 are normally stationary until an applied force causes them to flex, such as when the arrow is positioned in the opening 16 of the arrow rest or removed therefrom, or during shooting where the arrow shaft may initially deform due to high forces caused by sudden acceleration when the bowstring is first released, during passage of the arrow fletchings or vanes through radial gaps between the support members 14, and so on. In order to overcome one or more of the afore-describe difficulties of the prior art brush-type arrow rests, an adjustable arrow shaft support post 18 in accordance with the present invention is operably associated with the support frame 12 and can be adjusted upwardly or downwardly with respect thereto, as represented by arrows 20 and 22 in
The provision of an adjustable arrow shaft support post 18 ensures that the arrow shaft 5 can be centered within the central opening 16 so that the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft is coincident with the axis of the central opening 16. The provision of the passport post 18 also ensures that the arrow shaft will be supported by the post during shooting and not by the resilient support members 14. In this manner, variations in arrow diameter can be accommodated to ensure that the arrow shaft is always centered in the opening of the arrow rest, thereby ensuring accuracy and consistency from shot to shot, while reducing or eliminating wear of the support members 14, which now function to capture the arrow shaft 5 within the central opening 16 when the arrow 9 is loaded into the arrow rest assembly 10, and to guide movement of the arrow shaft toward the arrow shaft support 18 when drawing back the archery bow to an aiming position, as well as movement of the arrow shaft when the arrow is loaded, unloaded, and/or launched. The support post 18 can be constructed of rigid or flexible material, and can be configured to remain stationary or alternatively flex or move towards a first position when the arrow is at rest and flex or move towards a second position when the arrow is launched to thereby accommodate temporary deformation of the arrow shaft upon launch and ensure a predictable and consistent trajectory of the arrow during flight.
The basic features of the above-described exemplary embodiment of the arrow rest assembly 10, some or all of which will be found in various embodiments of the invention described below, can greatly vary to accommodate a wide variety of bow types, arrow sizes and configurations, as well as user preferences and shooting styles. Accordingly, it will be understood that the size, configuration, shape, function, and capacity of the basic features of the invention, including the particular number and order of such features can greatly vary without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Referring now to
The arrow rest assemblies 110A and 110B further include a first resilient support assembly 90 associated with the first annular support frame 160A and 160B, respectively, for supporting the shaft 5 of an arrow 9, a second resilient support or guide assembly 92 with a second annular support frame 196A (
With particular reference to
The mounting bracket 112 can be of conventional construction and includes an elongate base plate 124 that, when mounted to a bow or the like, extends in a generally horizontal direction. The base plate 124 includes an elongate slot 126 extending therethrough for receiving a fastener 125 or the like so that the mounting bracket 112 can be attached to the riser of a bow in a well-known manner. An elongate recess 128 is formed adjacent to and surrounds the groove so that the fastener head can be located within the mounting bracket 112. A connecting portion 130 of the mounting bracket 112 is located rearwardly of the elongate base plate 124 and extends in a transverse direction thereto, or in a generally vertical direction when the mounting bracket 112 is mounted to the bow or the like. Threaded openings (not shown) are formed in the connecting portion 130 for receiving a threaded fastener 134 or the like when connecting the elevation block 114 thereto. Threaded openings 136 (only one shown in
The elevation block 114 includes an elongate slot 140 that extends in a generally vertical direction and is adapted to receive the threaded fastener 134 so that the elevation block 114 can be connected to the mounting bracket 112. The elongate slot ensures that a wide range of elevation adjustment is available to the user, while maintaining relatively low profiles of the mounting bracket 112 and elevation block 114, thereby reducing the size and material requirements. Although not shown, a scale can be located adjacent to the slot 140 or at other locations to assist the user with elevation adjustment.
The elevation block 114 has a clamping portion 142 for holding the windage arm 116 in an adjusted windage position with respect to the riser of a bow. The clamping portion 142 preferably includes a clamp opening 144 for receiving the windage arm 116, a slot 146 that extends from an upper end of the elevation block to the clamp opening 144, and a threaded fastener 150 that extends through a first transverse opening 152 in the elevation block on one side of the slot 146, and threads into a second transverse opening (not shown) on the opposite side of the slot 146 to adjustably clamp the windage arm 116 to the elevation block 114. A windage scale 156 can be located on a rear face of the windage arm 116 to facilitate windage adjustment.
The windage arm 116 is preferably complementary in shape to the clamp opening 144 and can include a central bore 158 to reduce weight and thus material costs. The central bore 158 is also useful for receiving a threaded fastener 159 (
In
Although the windage arm 116 is shown mechanically fastened to the arrow rest assembly, it will be understood that the windage arm can be fastened through adhesive bonding, welding, friction fit, and other connection means, as well as integrally forming the windage arm 116 with the first annular support frame.
Referring now to
No matter how the first annular support frame 160A and 160B may be configured for loading an arrow 9, they both have several features in common. For example, each annular support frame has an outer curved surface 166 and an inner curved surface 168 with a rear surface 170 and a spaced front surface 172 extending between the outer and inner curved surfaces. The outer and inner curved surfaces are preferably coaxial with the central axis 164.
The first resilient support assembly includes a support base 174 that extends upwardly from a lower-most portion of the inner curved surface 168 and is located more towards the rear of the first annular support frame than towards the front thereof. As shown in
As best shown in
The spring 182 normally presses against the adjustment member 184 and the support member 178 to bias the resilient support member 178 upwardly toward the central axis 164. Sufficient gaps between the spring coils are provided to allow the support member to travel downwardly against the biasing forces when opposing forces are applied, such as when the arrow 9 is first released or shot from an archery bow, causing temporary deformation of the arrow shaft due to high acceleration forces applied to the arrow. In this manner, arrow flexure during shooting can be accommodated to thereby improve accuracy and consistency from shot to shot. An upper support surface 188 of the first resilient support member 178 includes a channel or groove for receiving the arrow shaft 5 to help center the arrow shaft on the first support member 178 during aiming and shooting, as well as during transportation where an arrow may be loaded on the arrow rest but not yet drawn back.
The complementary shapes of the first resilient support member 178 and cavity 176 ensure that the first resilient support member 178 will be fixed against rotational movement about a vertical axis or the like with respect to the support base 174. To that end, the support member 178 and the cavity 176 can be constructed of any shape that prevents relative rotational movement between the resilient support member and the cavity.
The adjustment member 184 has an outer threaded surface 190 that meshes with an inner threaded surface 192 of the cavity 176. A slot 194 is formed in the bottom of the adjustment member 184 and is engageable by a screwdriver or other tool to rotate the adjustment member in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to thereby adjust the height of the first resilient support member 178 to accommodate different arrow shaft diameters. Ideally, the central axis 164 of the annular support frame 110A, 110B should be coincident with the central axis of the arrow shaft 9, which is made possible by the provision of the first resilient support member 178 in accordance with the invention.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention the support member 178 may be adjusted to a desired position then fixed against further upward movement. Further rotation of the adjustment member 184 can then be used to adjust the amount of opposing flexural forces or resilience of the support member 178 under applied forces from the arrow 9 during shooting for example.
As best shown in
The second annular support frame 196A (
The second resilient support members 195 extend generally radially inwardly from the second annular support frame 196A or 196B to form a central opening 200 through which the arrow 5 extends during loading, unloading, aiming, and shooting, for example. The central opening 200 has a diameter that is equal to or preferably greater than the diameter of the largest anticipated arrow shaft. In this manner, frictional forces that might otherwise act on the arrow shaft during shooting can be substantially reduced or eliminated.
During the above-mentioned activities, the second resilient support members 195 ensure that the arrow shaft remains within the central opening 200 and does not inadvertently leave the center of the arrow rest, which can easily happen when the archery bow is tilted or canted at too steep of an angle to normally keep it centered within the arrow rest. The second resilient support members 195 are also suitable for keeping the arrow generally centered in the arrow rest during hunting or while walking or hiking to an anticipated location, for example, where there exists the possibility that game may be stumbled upon. In such circumstances, it may well be desirous to have an arrow preloaded for quickly and quietly drawing back the bow, aiming, and shooting, while bypassing the typical loss of time, generation of noise, and fumbling that might otherwise occur with prior art devices that do not properly capture the arrow shaft. Thus, even if a prior art arrow rest is preloaded with an arrow, the failure to properly capture the arrow shaft within a predefined central area of the arrow rest causes an archer to lose precious time as the position of the arrow is checked, adjusted, rechecked, prior to drawing back the bow. Under these conditions, and in combination with the adrenalin rush or elevated state of excitement, opportunities to obtain the intended target may very well be lost.
In order to ensure that the arrow shaft 5 is properly captured during such activities or for various other reasons, the second resilient support rest is constructed to ensure the retention of the arrow shaft within a predefined central area of the arrow rest assembly. The second resilient support members 195 preferably comprise brushes or bristles that are embedded in the second annular support frame 196A, 196B during the manufacturing process, such as through insert-molding, crimping, or other means for fixing the second resilient support members to the second annular support member. Preferably, the brushes contain several strands that extend radially inwardly from the second annular support frame.
As shown, the brushes do not fill the entire thickness or volume from the front to rear surfaces within the first annular support frame, but only occupy a portion thereof so that much of the support will be provided by the first resilient support member when the archer is in an aiming position. In this manner, with the arrow shaft 5 centered in the opening 200, the second resilient support members 195 ensure that the arrow shaft 5 is captured in a somewhat centered position or predefined central area within the arrow rest. In this position, the bow can be quickly drawn back to the aiming position from a relaxed or undrawn position since the second resilient support members in combination with the first resilient support member will tend to move the arrow shaft into the proper position during drawback of the bow.
Although the opening 200 is shown as circular in shape and of a particular size relative to the shaft of an arrow, it will be understood that the opening 200 can be of any suitable shape and size so long as the arrow shaft is retained in the arrow rest at a position where it can be easily guided towards the first resilient support member, such as by tilting or canting the bow to move the arrow shaft, and/or when the bow is drawn back to an aiming position.
As best shown in
In use, the first resilient support assembly 90 and the second resilient support assembly 92, including the first resilient support member 178 and the second resilient support members 195, are preferably of sufficient flexibility so that they guide the arrow shaft toward the central opening 200 of the arrow rest 18 when the arrow is loaded into the arrow rest, and then flex back to their original state when the arrow shaft is positioned on the first resilient support member 178 to thereby capture the arrow and prevent it from moving off of the arrow rest, or at least keep it within the vicinity of the first resilient support member so that the arrow shaft naturally moves or gravitates toward the upper surface of the first resilient support member 178 when the archer tilts, cants, and/or assumes an aiming or shooting stance with the archery bow. When the arrow is shot from the bow and experiences temporary deformation due to the sudden high acceleration forces, the first resilient support member 178 is sufficiently resilient to accommodate the temporary deformation, while the second resilient support members 195 are sufficiently stiff in the radial direction to ensure that the arrow trajectory remains constant. Likewise, the second resilient support members 195 are sufficiently resilient in the axial direction to accommodate movement of the arrow fletchings as they pass between the second resilient support members 195. Since all fletchings pass between the second resilient support members as the arrow passes through the arrow rest assembly, any friction experienced between the arrow fletchings 17 (
It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to a circular configuration of resilient support members as shown, but may have more or less resilient supports members, groups of bristles or supports of any suitable configuration or shape, or any other suitable support structure that tends to guide the arrow toward the center of the rest and captures the arrow within a predefined central area thereof when loaded, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
It will be further understood that the second resilient support members need not be located at the forward end of the arrow rest as shown, but may be located at a center section or rearward end thereof, or may extend across the entire width of the first annular support frame 160A or 160B, from the front surface 172 to the rear surface 170 thereof.
Referring now to
The resilient arrow rest assembly 220 further includes a first resilient support assembly 230 connected to a third annular support frame 246 for supporting the shaft 5 of an arrow 9, and a second resilient support or guide assembly 292 positioned between the first annular support frame 222 and the first resilient support assembly 230 for capturing and supporting the arrow shaft 5 within the arrow rest assembly 220. In this embodiment, the first resilient support assembly 230 is positioned forwardly of the second resilient support assembly 292 instead of rearwardly as in the previous embodiments.
The first annular support frame 222 has an outer curved surface 234 and an inner curved surface 236 with a rear surface 238 and a spaced front surface 240 extending between the outer and inner curved surfaces. A wedge-shaped gap or opening 242 is formed in the first annular support frame 222 between the outer and inner curved surfaces for receiving the shaft 5 of an arrow in a generally radial direction during loading and unloading (as shown in
As best shown in
As best shown in
The support base 256 extends upwardly from the third annular support frame 246 and can be integrally formed therewith. As shown, the support base 256 extends across the thickness of the support frame 246, from the front wall 248 to the protrusion 250. The support base is also generally wedge-shaped to accommodate the radially extending second support members 195. A cavity 258 is formed in the support base 256 and is sized to receive a first resilient support member or post 260 that functions to support the arrow shaft 5 (
The complementary shapes of the connecting section 262 and cavity 258 ensure that the first resilient support member 260 will be fixed against rotational movement about a vertical axis or the like with respect to the support base 256. To that end, the connecting section 262 and the cavity 258 can be constructed of any shape that prevents rotational movement of the resilient support member within the cavity.
The first resilient support member 260 is vertically adjustable in the cavity 258 so that arrow shafts with different diameters can extend coaxially with the opening 200 of the second resilient support assembly 292, and thus the annular support frames. The first connecting section 262 of the first adjustable support member 260 is formed with a pair of spaced legs 266 and 268 with a slot 270 extending therebetween. A fastener 272 extends through the rear wall 278 and forward wall 276 of the support base 256 as well as the slot 270 of the first connecting section 262. A nut 274 is embedded in the forward wall 276 of the support base 256 for receiving the fastener 272. In order to adjust the height of the first resilient support member 260, the fastener 272 is loosened, and the first resilient support member is slid upwardly or downwardly in the cavity 258 with respect to the fastener 272 until the desired height is achieved for the support section 264. Subsequently, the nut 274 and fastener 272 are tightened to thereby sandwich the connecting section 262 within the support base 256 in a fixed manner.
A first integral hinge section 280 is formed or otherwise located between the connecting section 262 and the support section 264 so that the support section 264 can flex to allow the support section to rotate downwardly against biasing forces created by the first integral hinge section 280 when opposing forces are applied, such as when the arrow 9 is first shot from an archery bow, causing temporary deformation in the arrow shaft due to high acceleration forces applied to the arrow. In this manner, arrow flexure during shooting can be accommodated to thereby improve accuracy and consistency from shot to shot.
The first resilient support member 260 is preferably constructed of a suitable material that, together with the geometry of the integral hinge section 280, provides the requisite biasing or resistance forces on the one hand to support the arrow shaft, and the requisite flexibility on the other hand to flex under arrow shaft deformation when the arrow is launched. An upper support surface 282 (
The combination of the first resilient support member 260 and the second resilient support members 195 and their flexible or resilient natures facilitate guidance of the arrow shaft toward the central opening 200 of the arrow rest and then flex back to their original state when the arrow shaft is positioned on the first resilient support member 260 to thereby capture the arrow and prevent it from moving off of the arrow rest, or at least keep it within the vicinity of the first resilient support member within the opening 200 so that the arrow shaft can be quickly and automatically positioned thereon when the archer assumes a shooting stance with the archery bow. When the arrow is shot from the bow and experiences temporary deformation due to the sudden high acceleration forces, the first resilient support member 260 is sufficiently flexible to accommodate this temporary deformation while the second resilient support members 195 are sufficiently stiff in the radial direction to guide arrow movement. Since all arrow fletchings 17 pass between the second resilient support members as the arrow passes through the arrow rest assembly, any friction experienced between the arrow fletchings 17 (
It will be understood that the present embodiment of the invention is not limited to a circular configuration of resilient support members as shown, but may have more or less resilient support members, groups of bristles or supports of any suitable configuration or shape, or any other suitable support structure that tends to guide the arrow toward the center of the rest and captures the arrow within a predefined central area thereof when loaded, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Referring now to
The resilient arrow rest assembly 300 further includes a first resilient support assembly 310 connected to the first annular support frame 302 for supporting the shaft 5 of an arrow 9, and a second resilient support or guide assembly 312 positioned between the first annular support frame 302 and a third annular support frame 314 for capturing and supporting the arrow shaft 5 within the arrow rest assembly 300. In this embodiment, the first resilient support assembly 310 is positioned centrally or coincident with the second resilient support assembly 312 instead of rearward or forward of the second support assemblies of previous embodiments.
The first annular support frame 302 has an outer curved surface 316 and an inner curved surface 318 with a rear wall 320 and a spaced front wall 322 extending between the outer and inner curved surfaces. A wedge-shaped gap or opening 324 is formed in the first annular support frame 302 between the outer and inner curved surfaces for receiving the shaft 5 of an arrow in a generally radial direction during loading and unloading (as shown in
As best shown in
As best shown in
The second annular support frame 330 comprises disk-shaped body segments 330A and 330B that are located in the annular groove 326 of the first annular support frame 302, and are retained therein by the third annular support frame 314.
Referring again to
A cavity 350 is formed in the support base 344 and is sized to receive a first resilient support member or post 352 that supports the shaft 5 of an arrow 9. The first resilient support member 352 extends radially upwardly from the base 344 toward the central axis 354 of the support frame 302 so that the longitudinal centerline of an arrow shaft 5 can be coincident with the central axis 354 when positioned in the arrow rest assembly. A guide rod 356 is slidably received in a bore 358 of the first resilient support member 352. A biasing member, comprising a compression spring 360, is positioned around the guide rod 356 and an adjustment member 362 receives the guide rod 356, preferably in a press-fit installation so that the guide rod and adjustment member 362 are fixed together. It will be understood that the guide rod 356 can be secured to the adjustment member 362 through any well-known connection means or may be integrally formed therewith.
The spring 360 normally presses against the adjustment member 362 and the resilient support member 352 to bias the resilient support member upwardly. Sufficient gaps between the spring coils are provided to allow the support member to travel downwardly against the biasing forces of the spring when opposing forces are applied, such as when the arrow 9 is first shot from an archery bow, causing temporary deformation in the arrow shaft due to high acceleration forces applied to the arrow. In this manner, arrow flexure during shooting can be accommodated to thereby improve accuracy and consistency from shot to shot. An upper support surface 366 of the first resilient support member 352 is formed with a channel or groove for receiving the arrow shaft 5 to help center the arrow shaft on the first support member 352 during aiming and shooting.
The complementary shapes of the first resilient support member 352 and cavity 350 ensure that the first resilient support member 352 will be fixed against rotational movement about a vertical axis or the like with respect to the support base 344. To that end, the support member 352 and the cavity 350 can be constructed of any shape that prevents rotational movement of the resilient support member within the cavity.
The adjustment member 362 has an outer threaded surface 368 that meshes with an inner threaded surface 370 of the cavity 350. A slot 372 is formed in the bottom of the adjustment member 362 and is engageable by a screwdriver or other tool to rotate the adjustment member in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to thereby adjust the height of the first resilient support member 352 to accommodate different arrow shaft diameters. Ideally, the geometric central axis 354 of the annular support frame 302 should be coincident with the central axis of the arrow shaft 9, which is made possible by the adjustability of the first resilient support member 352 in accordance with the invention.
The third annular support frame 314 has a front wall 374 and a generally circular protrusion 376 that extends rearwardly from the front wall. The protrusion 376 is received in the annular groove 326 of the first annular support frame 302 for axially aligning the third annular support frame 314 with the first annular support frame 302 and the second annular support frame 330. Apertures 378 are formed in the front wall for receiving fasteners 380 that thread into or are otherwise fixed with the first annular support frame 302 to thereby secure the support frames together with the second support frame 330 of the second resilient support assembly 312 sandwiched between the first and third support frames. A wedge-shaped gap 382 is formed in the third annular support frame 314 and is in alignment with the wedge-shaped gaps 336 and 324 previously described, in order to receive and capture the arrow shaft in a generally radial direction.
Referring now to
The resilient arrow rest assembly 400 further includes a first resilient support assembly 410 operably associated with the first annular support frame 402 for supporting the shaft 5 of an arrow 9, and a second resilient support or guide assembly 312 positioned between the first annular support frame 402 and a third annular support frame 414 for capturing and supporting the arrow shaft 5 within the arrow rest assembly 400. The second resilient support assembly 312 is similar in construction to the support assembly 312 previously described. As in the previous embodiment, the first resilient support assembly 410 is positioned centrally or coincident with the second resilient support assembly 312.
The first annular support frame 402 has an outer curved surface 416 and an inner curved surface 418 with a rear surface 420 and a spaced front surface 422 extending between the outer and inner curved surfaces. A wedge-shaped gap or opening 424 is formed in the first annular support frame 402 between the outer and inner curved surfaces for receiving the shaft 5 of an arrow in a generally radial direction during loading and unloading (as shown in
Referring to
When the first and third annular support frames are connected together, a cavity 450 is formed in the support base 444 between the first base segment 445 and the second base segment 447. The cavity 450 is sized to receive a first resilient support member or post 452 that in turn supports the shaft 5 of an arrow 9. The first resilient support member 452 extends upwardly from the base 444 toward the central axis 454 of the support frame 402 so that the longitudinal centerline of an arrow shaft 5 can be coincident with the central axis 454 when positioned in the arrow rest assembly.
A pivot rod 456 is mounted in the cavity 450 and extends through a bore 458 formed in the first resilient support member 452 to allow pivoting movement of the first resilient support member about the pivot rod 456 and with respect to the first annular support frame 402. A spring seat 464 is formed in the first resilient support member 452 forward of the bore 458. An adjustment member 462 with an outer threaded surface 463 is positioned in a threaded bore 466 formed in the first support frame 402 at a location that intersects the cavity 450.
A compression spring 460 extends between the spring seat 464 and the adjustment member 462 to bias the resilient support member upwardly about the pivot rod 456. Gaps between the spring coils are provided to allow the support member 452 to pivot downwardly against the biasing force of the spring 460 when opposing forces are applied, such as when the arrow 9 is first shot from an archery bow, causing temporary deformation in the arrow shaft due to high acceleration forces applied to the arrow, as previously described. In this manner, arrow flexure during shooting can be accommodated to thereby improve accuracy and consistency from shot to shot. An upper support surface 470 (
A slot 472 is formed in the bottom of the adjustment member 462 and is engageable by a screwdriver or other tool to rotate the adjustment member in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to thereby adjust the height of the first resilient support member 452 to accommodate different arrow shaft diameters. Ideally, the central axis 454 of the first annular support frame 402 should be coincident with the central axis of the arrow shaft 9, which is made possible by the adjustability of the first resilient support member 452 in accordance with the invention.
The third annular support frame 414 has a front wall 415 and a generally circular protrusion 476 that extends rearwardly from the front wall. The protrusion 476 is received in the annular groove 426 of the first annular support frame 402 for axially aligning the third annular support frame 414 with the first annular support frame 402 and the second annular support frame 330. Apertures 478 are formed in the front wall for receiving fasteners 480 that thread into or are otherwise fixed with the first annular support frame 402 to thereby secure the support frames together with the second support frame 330 of the second resilient support assembly 312 sandwiched between the first and third support frames. A wedge-shaped gap 482 is formed in the third annular support frame 414 and is in alignment with the wedge-shaped gaps 336 and 424 in order to receive and capture the arrow shaft in a generally radial direction, as previously described.
With reference now to
The resilient arrow rest assembly 500 further includes a first resilient support assembly 510 operably associated with the first annular support frame 502 for supporting the shaft 5 of an arrow 9, and a second resilient support or guide assembly 312 positioned between the first annular support frame 502 and a third annular support frame 514 for capturing and supporting the arrow shaft 5 within the arrow rest assembly 500. The second resilient support assembly 312 is similar in construction to the support assembly 312 previously described. As in the previous embodiment, the first resilient support assembly 510 is positioned coincident with the second resilient support assembly 312.
The first annular support frame 502 has an outer curved surface 516 and an inner curved surface 518 with a rear surface 520 and a spaced front surface 522 extending between the outer and inner curved surfaces. A wedge-shaped gap or opening 524 is formed in the first annular support frame 502 between the outer and inner curved surfaces for receiving the shaft 5 of an arrow in a generally radial direction during loading and unloading (as shown in
Referring to
The cavity 550 is sized to receive a first resilient support member or post 552 that in turn supports the shaft 5 of an arrow 9. The first resilient support member 552 extends upwardly from the base 544 toward the central axis 554 of the support frame 502 so that the longitudinal centerline of an arrow shaft 5 can be coincident with the central axis 554 when positioned in the arrow rest assembly.
The first resilient support member 552 preferably includes a first connecting section or mounting section 556 removably connected to the first support base section 544 of the first support frame 502 and a resilient arrow rest section 558 extending upward from the mounting section 556 for supporting the shaft 5 of an arrow 9. The mounting section 556 is shown as generally square-shaped or rectangular-shaped in cross section and fits into the cavity 550, which is complementary in shape to the mounting section 556. The complementary shapes of the mounting section 556 and cavity 550 ensure that the resilient support member 552 will be fixed against rotational movement about an axis transverse to the axis 554. It will be understood that the mounting section 556 and cavity 550 can be constructed of any shape that prevents rotational movement of the resilient support member within the cavity 550.
A slot 560 extends through the mounting section 556 to form a first mounting leg 562 and a second mounting leg 564. A fastener 566, such as a threaded bolt, has a head portion 568 located in a rear opening 570 (
In order to adjust the height of the first resilient support member 552, the fastener 566 is loosened, and the mounting section 556 of the first resilient support member is slid upwardly or downwardly in the cavity 550 with respect to the fastener 566 until the desired height is achieved for the resilient arrow rest section 558. Subsequently, the nut 576 and fastener 566 are tightened to thereby sandwich the mounting section 556 within the support base section 544 in a fixed manner.
A first integral hinge section 580 is formed or otherwise located between the mounting section 556 and the resilient arrow rest section 558. A first lever arm 582 extends between the first integral hinge section 580 and a second integral hinge section 584. A second lever arm 586 extends from the second integral hinge section 584 and serves as the support section for receiving the shaft 5 of an arrow 9. The first and second integral hinges together with the first and second lever arms form a generally S-shaped resilient arrow rest section 558. The hinge sections 580, 584 are relatively thin in cross section so that the second lever arm 586 deflects when a force is applied thereto, such as when an arrow is being shot from an archery bow to accommodate temporary deformation of the arrow shaft. In this manner, the archer can be confident that the arrow will travel towards its intended target rather than being deflected by the arrow rest, as in prior art rigid arrow rests. The hinge sections are also thick enough to reduce the effects of work hardening that might otherwise occur with thinner hinges over the life of the first resilient support member 552. A generally V-shaped groove 588 is formed in the second lever arm 586 along the length thereof for receiving the arrow shaft 5.
As in the previous embodiments, the first resilient support member can be made out of any suitable material such as plastics, composites, metal, or other materials or combinations thereof, to minimize noise during arrow drawback and launch while reducing the effects of work hardening. Although not shown in this embodiment, a wear insert 286 (
As in the previous embodiments, the combination of the first resilient support member 552 and the second resilient support members 332 facilitate guidance of the arrow shaft toward the central opening 334 of the arrow rest and then flex back to their original state when the arrow shaft is positioned on the first resilient support member 552 to thereby capture the arrow.
As best shown in
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the second resilient support assembly is not limited to resilient brush-type guide members but can be constructed with a wide variety of different configurations, materials, sizes, flexibility, and so on. For example, the present invention can include the adjustable arrow rest support in combination with virtually any suitable arrow rest structure where the shaft of an arrow can be captured and the fletchings can pass through radially extending support or guide members. Suitable support structures for capturing an arrow shaft are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 9,243,862 issued on Jan. 26, 2016 to the same assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In this manner, the present invention is capable of aligning the shaft of an arrow with the axial center of the arrow rest and/or related support structure to ensure consistency and accuracy from shot to shot while preventing the inadvertent release of the arrow shaft from the arrow rest during various activities as previously described.
It will be understood that the term “preferably” as used throughout the specification refers to one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention and therefore is not to be interpreted in any limiting sense. In addition, terms of orientation and/or position as may be used throughout the specification denote relative, rather than absolute orientations and/or positions.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It will be understood, therefore, that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but also covers modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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