Patent Application
20230139525
This disclosure relates generally to archery devices, and more particularly to a bow stabilizer assembly for counteracting movement of a bow when shooting an arrow. The bow stabilizer assembly also may include a bow stick mounting assembly to further assist in stabilizing a bow.
When gripping a bow, aiming and shooting an arrow, vibration and torque applied to the hand grip can cause inaccuracy of the shot. This can be more severe, depending on whether the bow is a compound bow, the way in which the bow is gripped, the strength of the archer with respect to supporting a bow in a free bow hand and the desired shot distance. At close range or when using less than a full draw, the torqueing, vibration and resulting inaccuracy may not be very extreme. However, this is not the case when shooting a longer distance.
Generally, long distance bow hunting has been frowned upon and there have not been desirable solutions for achieving enhanced accuracy in shooting a substantial distance, such as over 40 yards. However, in recent years, interest has increased in shooting longer distances, such as for target practice. In such instances, the torque applied to the bow and the vibration and noise when shooting is exacerbated and can cause unsteadiness that results in an arrow straying a few feet or more from the intended target.
Prior art stabilizers for bows commonly are configured to extend forward from a mounting position on the face of the riser and below the hand grip. The stabilizers are intended to reduce noise and vibration, by increasing the inertia of the bow, and ultimately to resist movement. However, the common low, fixed, forward extending configuration for bow stabilizers appears to have limited potential to dampen bow movement that is due to torqueing the bow, especially when shooting greater distances or with the bow in more extreme shooting positions. In addition, use of bow sticks or a leg extending straight downward from a bow to help stabilize and support a bow have not been particularly advantageous because they tend to lack adjustability and limit the position of the bow when aiming. As such, they tend to be ineffective in resisting torqueing of the bow. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improved stabilization of a bow to improve accuracy by resistance to torqueing of the bow and enhanced support for a bow, especially if electing to shoot greater distances.
The scope of the present disclosure is defined solely by the appended claims, and nothing in this summary is intended to limit the claims. Moreover, there are aspects of the present subject matter that may be embodied separately or together in various bow stabilizer assemblies. These aspects may be employed alone or in combination with other aspects of the subject matter described herein and the description of these aspects together is not intended to preclude use of these aspects separately or the claiming of such aspects separately or in different combinations, as set forth in the claims appended hereto.
The present disclosure addresses one or more disadvantages of the prior art and provides effective bow stabilizer assembly arrangements capable of providing improved bow stability and resistance to movement when shooting an arrow. Indeed, in addition to providing noise and vibration suppression, the devices provide improvements with respect to resistance to torqueing of a bow, and ability to adjust directional resistance to torqueing of a bow, as well as providing a bow stick mounting assembly that when used in combination with a bow stick assembly provides more fluid support for a bow when aiming and shooting an arrow.
In one aspect, this disclosure provides a bow stabilizer assembly for stabilizing an archery bow having a hand grip on a riser portion of the bow, the bow stabilizer assembly including a rod having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the rod connects to the riser portion at a location spaced above the hand grip. The bow stabilizer assembly further includes a bow stick mounting assembly comprising a bracket rotatably connected to the rod, a pivot connected to the bracket and extending below and perpendicular to the rod, and a coupling connected to the pivot and having a distal end that is movable toward and away from the bow.
In accordance with another aspect, a bow stick assembly may be connected to the coupling to use in combination with the bow stabilizer assembly. The bow stick assembly may be rotatable relative to the coupling. The bow stick assembly may provide further support while stabilizing the bow and permitting more fluid ability to aim and shoot the bow.
The novel and nonobvious structures disclosed herein allow for unique advantages in bow stabilization with respect to bow torqueing, noise and vibration, as well as enhanced support, and present various configurations to provide desired features for end users.
In describing the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawing figures wherein like parts have like reference numerals, and wherein:
It should be understood that the drawings are not to scale. While some details of bow stabilizing assemblies and other plan and section views of the particular components have not been included, such details are considered to be within the comprehension of those of skill in the art in light of the present disclosure. It also should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the examples illustrated.
Although the following discloses examples of bow stabilizer assemblies, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the teachings of this disclosure are in no way limited to the specific examples shown. On the contrary, it is contemplated that the teachings of this disclosure may be implemented in alternative configurations, with alternative materials.
In general, the example bow stabilizer assemblies described herein facilitate convenient enhanced stabilization when aiming and shooting a bow.
The connection of the proximal end 20 of the rod 18 to the riser portion 16 may, for example, include an opening 40 in the riser portion 16 that directly receives the proximal end 20 of the rod 18 opening 40. Alternatively, the opening 40 may receive a fitting 42 that receives the proximal end 20 of the rod 18. It will be appreciated that the opening may receive such a fitting 42, as shown in
As may be best seen in
Another unique feature of the present example bow stabilizer assembly 10, as may be seen in
As seen in
As may best be seen in
As shown, the bow stick assembly 60 and first connector 62 essentially utilizes components from a rifle support known as the Stoney Point® Rapid Pivot Folding Bipod. However, the inventor is not aware of a previously known way in which one could utilize such components to be a bow stick assembly and to provide the advantages provided by the bow stabilizer assembly 10 and the bow stick mounting assembly 30. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the example bow stick assembly 60 is an example of a bow stick assembly that may be combined for use with the bow stabilizer assembly 10. However, one will appreciate that various different first connectors and bow stick assemblies having second connectors may be utilized, whether having one or more sticks, so as to provide a monpod, bipod, tripod or other supporting structure. Indeed, the bow stick assembly may take many different forms.
The bow stick assembly 60 shown in combination with the bow stabilizer assembly 10 in the present example includes a bipod having two elongated sticks 70 having proximal ends 72 that are pivotally connected. As illustrated, the elongated sticks 70 are pivotally connected to each other and to the second connector 66, which is the hub receiver in this example. The elongated sticks 70 of the example bow stick assembly 60 also are foldable, by having slidably receivable connectors that are linked by resilient cords. It will be appreciated that the elongated sticks 70 may be of any desired length or be length adjustable, so as to provide bow support when a person is standing or kneeling, or for persons of different heights. The elongated sticks 70 may be rigid but it has been found to be more advantageous to have the elongated sticks 70 of the bow stick assembly 60 be flexible. This permits more body movement, whether forward or rearward, set high or low, and/or leaning side to side, and more variability when aiming.
The multiple pivot axes effectively provided by the bow stabilizer assembly 10 and the bow stick mounting assembly 30 enable multiple stabilizing adjustments including resistance to torqueing, reduced noise and vibration and support that facilitates more fluid and dynamic movement when aiming a bow. Thus, it is highly advantageous to have the ability to change the rotational position and thereby tune the damping provided by the rod 18 (with or without a damper element connected thereto), to rotate the bow 12 and rod 18 relative to the bracket 32 of the bow stick mounting assembly 30, and to pivot the bow 12 and rod 18 about the pivot 34 so as to permit angular adjustment of the coupling 36 that is connected to the bow stick assembly 60. The bow stick assembly 60 shown also provides for rotation of the first connector 62 relative to the second connector 66, to turn side-to-side relative to the position of the elongated sticks 70 having distal ends in contact with the ground.
Although described in terms of preferred and alternative examples, the present subject matter may be employed in other configurations and with other materials without departing from the principles of the subject matter as described above and as set forth in the following claims.
From the description of the above examples, it will be further understood that this disclosure provides bow stabilizer assemblies that may incorporate many advantages over the prior art. Reduced torqueing provides enhanced accuracy and inclusion of the bow stick mounting assembly facilitates use of bow sticks to provide enhanced support of a bow while permitting more fluid aiming.
Thus, the foregoing detailed description and accompanying drawings have been provided by way of explanation and illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Many variations in the presently preferred examples illustrated herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, and remain within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
