Bowmar Nose Button

Abstract

A method of drawing and aiming an archery bow and arrow is disclosed and described. An archer is able to hold the bow in a repeatable configuration of outstretched limbs and relative positions of the hands, the bow grip, the depth of draw of the bow string, the apex of the drawn bow string and an arrow nocked therein, and other factors relating to the mechanical energy stored in the bow and imparted to the arrow when released.

Description

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD

The invention relates to using an aiming aid for target archery and bow hunting.

BACKGROUND

In archery, the point of impact of an arrow and its tip is influenced by several simultaneous parameters, most notably the distance to which the bowstring is drawn back and the elevation angle at which an arrow is launched.

An archer must develop a skill set which combines a keen sense of proprioception and “muscle memory” in various body positions in order to make a good estimate of both how far back an arrow nocked to its bowstring has been drawn and also the elevation angle of the arrow. Accuracy is gained by repeated visceral learning experiences of which muscle positions of the entire body result in which ranges and impact points of the arrows. According to some techniques, an archer sights along an arrow shaft, but in other techniques the arrow axis at launch is offset from a line of sight from the archer's aiming eye to the target or to an aiming structure on the bow, arrow, or string, so that the repeatable control of a launch angle must also be learned by experience and muscle memory which is not often or easily transferrable from one bow and arrow system to another, nor easily transferable from one user to another user of the same system. Thus, despite its ancient history, many challenges for repeatability and reproducibility remain unsolved in the field of archery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Many existing sighting aids for archery help correlate distance of impact only to an elevation angle at which a bow is held, but without regard to any particular anchor point in relation to the face to bow string contact. A “sight picture” is composed of a visual image or view of the bow parts and arrow parts in the near field combined with the view of the target at a distance.

It is disadvantageously possible for a user of an archery sighting system to create the same “sight picture” while the energy stored in the bow varies, which results in the same sight picture yielding different arrow impact points. It is therefore a primary objective of the invention to offer a new way of using a sighting device so that an equivalent sight picture to that of a previous shot provides results is much more nearly the same impact point as the previous shot.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a method by which an archer may repeatably establish the same anchor point and face to string contact of a bow from one shot to the next, providing that other variables such as arrow length and mass are reasonably similar. A corollary objective of the invention is to enable a user to reestablish the same anchor point, sight picture, head position, positions of the bow, the eye, the arrow and its tip, and any sighting structures in the vicinity of the grip or arrow rest, so that whenever these visual components are arranged the same as for a previous shot with the same arrow, then the same point of impact for the arrow may be expected and achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components. When reference is made to a reference numeral without specification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components.

FIG. 1 shows an archer holding a bow in a drawn position and using some contemporary archery accessories.

FIG. 2a shows an embodiment of a nose button used in accordance with the inventive method.

FIG. 2b shows an alternative embodiment of a nose button used in accordance with the inventive method.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of a nocked and drawn arrow and bowstring with an archer using a peep sight and nose button in accordance with the inventive method.

FIG. 4 shows an archer in the same drawn and ready position as seen in FIG. 3, but viewed from behind and slightly to the side of the archer.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of an archer sighting through a peep sight and projections of a nose button touching within the sensitive underside portion below the tip of the nose.

FIG. 6 shows a rear view of a sighting aid mounted on the frame of a bow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

While various aspects and features of certain embodiments have been summarized above, the following detailed description illustrates a few exemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Several embodiments are described herein, and while various features are ascribed to different embodiments, it should be appreciated that the features described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated with other embodiments as well. By the same token, however, no single feature or features of any described embodiment should be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, as other embodiments of the invention may omit such features.

In this application the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise, and use of the terms “and” and “or” is equivalent to “and/or,” also referred to as “non-exclusive or” unless otherwise indicated. Moreover, the use of the term “including,” as well as other forms, such as “includes” and “included,” should be considered non-exclusive. Also, terms such as “element” or “component” encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more than one unit, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Although archery for sport, for hunting to procure food, and for waging war predates written history, accessories and methods have developed and evolved over time and new inventions continually contribute to and improve the art and skill of archery, beginning with the basics of storing mechanical energy in a bow, temporarily coupling a nock of an arrow to the bow, resting a forward portion of the arrow on a portion of the bow, and releasing the stored energy so that it is transferred into substantially longitudinal acceleration of the arrow, which then flies to a target or intended point of impact and is usually stabilized while in flight.

FIG. 1 shows an archer holding a bow in a drawn position and using some contemporary archery accessories, including an arm guard and a wrist release. Phantom line [3] represents a bowstring in a slack position, and dimension ‘D’ defines a depth of draw from the slack position to a drawn position when the archer, at full draw with the established anchor point, will be visually aiming the bow and its nocked arrow. Typically the line of sight [6] from the archer's eye to the target is offset from the longitudinal axis [5] defined by a nocked and drawn arrow. Axis [5] may also be called the shooting axis of the bow. The line of sight and the arrow's axis are nearly parallel in most cases except in extreme distance shooting or other unusual circumstances, so that a linear dimension of parallax ‘p’ can be defined between these axes [5] and [6.] An archer must develop skill in compensating for parallax so that while sighting a target an impact point can be visually estimated. Some bows have sighting aids such as beads mounted on horizontal studs protruding from the bow and usually mounted above the bow grip.

Most modern compound bows may be fitted with a draw stop which halts the paying out of bowstring from the pulleys of the bow. Some of these stops work by obstructing the rotation of a pulley past a certain point and others may work by affixing a bead at a point on the bowstring ahead of a constricted passage along the path of the bowstring so that paying out of the bowstring is halted when the bead encounters the constriction. Draw stops themselves are outside the scope of the invention. Once a draw stop is correctly fitted and adjusted, the depth of draw with an established anchor point, the geometry of the bow, and a nocked arrow held therein are reliable and repeatably fixed from one shot to the next.

The invention comprises a method of use of an archery aiming aid which clamps onto a bow string at a position whereby an archer may draw the bow so that the bead contacts the archer's nose. Using a nose button in accordance with the invention, an archer is able to hold a bow in a repeatable configuration or geometry comprising outstretched limbs and relative positions of the hands, the bow grip, the depth of draw of the bow string as controlled by a draw stop, the apex of the drawn bow string and an arrow nocked therein, and other factors relating to the mechanical energy stored in the bow and imparted to the arrow when released.

With practice, an archer is able to build muscle memory so that from one shot to the next the archer may repeatably re-establish the same stored energy geometry in the body and bow, and repeatably re-establish the same anchor point parallax between the archer's line of sight and the shooting axis of the bow, so that improved uniformity of trajectories is achieved, point of impact is learned and controlled more accurately, and thus the archers accuracy and effectiveness is increased. The use of a nose button firmly mounted to a bow string may greatly aid in re-establishing the geometrical parameters that define the relationship between a line of sight and the trajectory of an arrow released, and a point of impact within the effective range of the archery system.

FIG. 2a shows an embodiment of a nose button [10] used in accordance with the inventive method. The bead comprises an open seam tube [12] that defines a longitudinal axis. An open seam tube in this specification is also called a split tube and it is a tube with a split, gap, or a slit [15] that extends over its the entire length. The bead has an interior passage or lumen [14] which also extends the entire length of the bead. A radially spaced array of radial projections [16] extend radially outward and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bead. Each projection further defines its own axis of projection and in a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention, the radial projections all lie in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the split tube, so that regardless of the twist of the bow string or the angular orientation of the bead, when the bow string is drawn and all other parameters are re-established, the bow will shoot the arrow so that it will fly to a predictable and repeatable point of impact. Side cuts [17] in the wall of the tube may be made deep enough to communicate with the lumen, or may be made as shallow cuts [17′] which do not communicate with the lumen.

The side cuts improve manufacturability in injection molding and also provide seating for when it is desired to securely anchor the bead in position along a bowstring by tightly looping a number of turns of cord around the tube and knotting the cord securely. The cord will shift while being tightened and seat themselves securely within the side cuts. Depending on the elastomeric properties of the bead material, it may be preferable to tighten the loops of cord enough to visibly deform the bead as it is forced to clamp down on the bowstring. In a best mode use, the nose button is adjusted to a point on the bowstring so that it contacts a point on the archer's nose.

FIG. 2b shows an alternative embodiment of a nose button used in accordance with the inventive method. In this embodiment a first split ring [25] and a second split ring [26] are connected by beams [18, 18′] which define and bestride the gap [15] of the split which runs along the entire length of the bead. The intervening spaces [17a, 17b] in the cylindrical portion of the tube may be used for receiving anchoring cordage as explained previously. This embodiment also includes a radial array of tapering projections radially spaced around the rim of the second split ring with forward facing positively curved spherical surfaces [22] which in this embodiment are all concentric and of equal spherical radius.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of a nocked and drawn arrow and bowstring with an archer using a peep sight [28] and nose button [10] in accordance with the inventive method. Modern archery accessories control the location along the bowstring of a nocked by means of a D-loop [8] which also provides a releasable attachment site for a modern archery release aid [9.] These release devices separate the muscular task of holding the bowstring in tension at its depth of draw from a fine-motor skill task of tripping a sensitive release mechanism.

A peep sight is a tube mounted within a bowstring, and may include optical elements such as lenses or filters. Typically the strands of a bowstring are splayed apart so they pass around opposite sides of the tube body, and the tube body is mounted at an angle [a] with respect to the axis of the string, chosen so that when the string is drawn the axis of the tube becomes aligned with some other aiming aid such as a pin mounted on the frame of a compound bow, or some other secondary reference point. Angle [a] is commonly set at 45° or 38° with 38° being more popular, but an archer may prefer other angles. A line of sight [6] extending through the peep sight is used to infer a point of impact for the arrow at a known range. In this specification the frame of a bow means any of the substantially rigid structures but excluding flexible limbs or elastic members for storing energy to be transferred to the arrow.

The archer orients the bow and drawn arrow so that while sighting a target through the peep sight, a projection of the nose button contacts the shooter's nose near the distal tip or bulb of the nose and on the underside of the bulb or tip. This point on the nose is usually the most memory sensitive to touch, and with experience a shooter may repeatably touch a nose button projection to the same point on the nose within about 1 mm (about 0.040 in) of locational accuracy. The repeatability of establishing an anchor point on the nose underpins all the other factors involved with sending an arrow where it is wanted to go.

An additional benefit the nose button provides for the archer is to give shooter error feedback before the arrow is loosed. The inventor knows of no other product in the world that achieves this benefit. Tactile feedback from the spikes at the sensitive portion of the tip of the nose convey an unanticipated and exceptionally high sensory acuity such that an archer is able to discern minute differences in string pressure from the face, and variations of in the bow's anchor point become dramatically noticeable. Until this product was invented, an archer would have to shoot first and if he or she missed, would have to wonder and guess at what caused the error in the shot.

Experiments with the invention have revealed that variation in facial pressure from contact of the bowstring to the face is a leading cause of missing in archery. Although initially counterintuitive, when a compound bow is held at full draw the string is under the least amount of tension because of the mechanical leveraging in the cams. For example, most modern compound bows have 80-85% “let off,” which means that at full draw the string tension is 80-85% lower than the peak tension over the draw length. However, although let off allows the archer to hold the bow for much longer than a recurve or other standard bow lacking a let off, a new problem is introduced because with 85% of the string tension gone at full draw becomes very easy for the archer to press his or her face into the bowstring and laterally deflect the bow string, causing an inaccurate shot.

The inaccuracy occurs because once released the bowstring laterally returns to its neutral plane position. As with any step change response in a mechanically damped elastic system, the string may even laterally overshoot during its excursion to its natural center. These lateral wiggles of the bowstring introduce unwanted lateral motions applied at the tail of the arrow while it is accelerating on takeoff from the bow, and thus cause the arrow to fly errantly. This problem is called facial pressure.

The nose button solves the facial pressure problem by means of its spikes. The more a user presses into the string the more uncomfortable it becomes, giving the user immediate and continuous feedback of improper form before loosing the arrow. If a user exerts insufficient pressure onto the bowstring, the user will also feel instant tactile feedback. The lack of sufficient contact pressure of the head onto the bowstring is called “head creeping.” Repetition of proper form is key to improvement in any sport. The nose button's spikes improve an archer's ability to make perfect shots, shot after shot, because of the consistent feedback it provides about the archer's form, and how the outcome of a shot changes as the archer's form changes.

For maximum accuracy while using the invention for shooting a bow and arrow, an archer establishes a consistent set of “anchor points,” which are points of contact with the archer's face. Contact with a taut bowstring and the face can create an ambiguous contact sensation when more than a small portion of the string lays along or embeds into the flesh of the face, because the contact interface becomes a long ellipse instead of a small, focused point. The inventive method includes using a nose button to provide a best mode “anchor point” for an archer to repeatedly achieve the exact same facial contact point shot after shot, and solves the problem of inconsistent parallax between the archers line of sight and the shooting axis of the bow. Extreme precision in establishing an anchor point of a particular point on the bow string to a particular point on the shooter's nose advantageously results in extreme accuracy for the shooter. In comparison to the width of an unadorned bowstring touching the nose, the locational accuracy of detecting the protuberant points of the invention may be enhanced by about 6 times more precision because the width of the contact point of the nose button to the face is less than 1 mm.

FIG. 4 shows an archer in the same drawn and ready position as seen in FIG. 3, but viewed from behind and slightly to the side of the archer. Angles and proportions in this view are distorted for emphasis of the concepts presented. The archer has nocked an arrow, drawn the bow, and is now aiming by peering through the peep sight [28] at a distant impact point [X.] The line of sight [6] from the archer's eye to the target passes through the peep sight and may also include a second sighting aid such as a bead on a pin mounted on the bow frame, or a marking on the bow frame or elsewhere. To overcome gravity, the axis of the arrow is held at an elevation angle [e] above the line of sight to the target. When loosed, the arrow will fly a parabolic arc [4] above the line of sight and arrive at the target. More complex adjustments may be made such as for pre-compensating for crosswinds or for leading a target in motion. The final and most important anchor point for orienting the bow and arrow with respect to an impact point is secured when any one of the projections [p] of the nose button [10] touch and are felt by the archer at the sensitive underside portion below the tip of the nose.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of an archer sighting through a peep sight and a projection [p] of a nose button [10] touching within the sensitive underside portion below the tip of the nose. The zone of enhanced sensitivity of the nose is indicated by the shaded region [29.]

FIG. 6 shows a rear view of a sighting aid mounted on the frame of a bow. The frame [30] has a cutout in its width commonly called a sight window [32,] where various sighting aids may be mounted. Common sighting aids are objects mounted on cantilevered beams or pins extending from the bow frame into the sight window. Sighting aids may include a ring [33,] or a bead [34] mounted at the tip of a pin, and may include optical lenses or filters as well. A sighting aid may also be as simple as a mark made on the bow frame.

The inventive method includes the steps of (a) providing a bow having a bowstring and preferably at least one sighting aid which may be a peep sight installed at a point along a bowstring, or a sighting aid such as a bead, lens or loop mounted on the frame of the bow, or mounted on a projection extending from the bow frame, or a mark on the bow frame. It is also possible to employ the method using a traditional or recurve bow as well. The archer using traditional equipment may optionally touch the bowstring to the archer's forehead while holding the drawn bow.

Also provided is (b) a nose button installed at a different point along the bowstring, with the nose button comprising a tube body and least one radial projection extending from the tube body, but is preferably one from among an angularly spaced-apart array of a plurality of projections whose tips all reside in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the tube. In this specification the noise button is installed at a first point on the bowstring and the peep sight, if used, is installed at a second point on the bowstring.

An archer or user of the method then (c) draws the bowstring to a depth of draw which is preferably controlled by a draw stop. For practice, the sighting method may be used without an arrow, while for shooting, an arrow is nocked to the bowstring and if a wrist release is used, then this device is engaged to a D-loop in the bowstring before it is drawn.

Once the bowstring is drawn, the user of the method (d) raises the drawn bow so that a projection of the nose button touches the underside of the tip of the nose, and (e) orients the drawn bow so that at least one sighting aid aligns with a line of sight extending from the shooter's eye.

While certain features and aspects have been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible. Further, while various methods and processes described herein may be described with respect to particular structural and/or functional components for ease of description, methods provided by various embodiments are not limited to any particular structural and/or functional architecture.

Hence, while various embodiments are described with or without certain features for ease of description and to illustrate exemplary aspects of those embodiments, the various components and/or features described herein with respect to a particular embodiment can be substituted, added, and/or subtracted from among other described embodiments, unless the context dictates otherwise. Consequently, although several exemplary embodiments are described above, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for aiming an archery bow, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a bow having a frame and a bowstring,(b) providing a nose button installed at a first point along said bowstring,(c) drawing said bowstring to a depth of draw, and(d) raising said bow so that said projection of said nose button touches a user's nose.

2. The aiming method of claim 1, wherein said nose button comprises a tube body and least one projection extending radially from said tube body.

3. The aiming method of claim 1, wherein said radial projection of said nose button is one from among an angularly spaced-apart array of a plurality of projections whose tips all reside in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said tube body.

4. The aiming method of claim 1, wherein said depth of draw which is controlled by a draw stop.

5. The aiming method of claim 1, wherein any one of said at least one sighting aid is selected from the set of sighting aids consisting of: a peep sight installed at a first point along a bowstring, a bead mounted on said bow frame, a lens mounted on said bow frame, a loop mounted on said bow frame, a bead mounted on a projection extending from said bow frame, a lens mounted on a projection extending from said bow frame, a loop mounted on a projection extending from said bow frame, and a mark on said bow frame.

6. The aiming method of claim 1, further comprising a step (b-1) before step (c) of nocking an arrow to said bowstring.

7. The aiming method of claim 1, further comprising a step (b-2) before step (c) of engaging a wrist release to said bowstring.

8. The aiming method of claim 1, further comprising a step (b-3) before step (c) of touching a portion of said bowstring to a forehead of an archer.

9. The aiming method of claim 1, wherein said bowstring further comprises a peep sight, and further comprising a step (e) after step (d) of orienting said bow so that said at least one sighting aid aligns with a line of sight extending from an eye of said archer.

10. The aiming method of claim 9, wherein said line of sight passes through said peep sight.