Bowstring release device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6302093
  • Patent Number
    6,302,093
  • Date Filed
    Saturday, July 15, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 16, 2001
    22 years ago
Abstract
A bow string release device comprises a rod shaped into a ring with a curved tail. The ring portion is placed upon the archer's middle finger and positioned near the finger's first joint. The tail is placed to the front of the bowstring and hooked or grasped by the index finger. The bowstring is then pulled back and released by the index finger letting go of the tail.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to an apparatus for holding and releasing the bow string of an archery bow with the archer's bow string hand.




2. Description of the Prior Art




Bow string releases have been designed so that an archer can release the string of his or her bow with reduced fatigue on the muscles of the hand and fingers while holding the bowstring in a drawn position. The bow string release devices can also improve accuracy. U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,456 discloses a bow string release having an opening for the index finger, an arm with grooves for two fingers and a notch with an adjustable flange for holding the bow string. The notch and flange hold the bowstring and a rotation of the arm about the index finger releases the bow string. U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,467 discloses a one piece bow string release device with a central extension having a notch for engaging the bow string and two curved sections for engaging the index and middle finger of the archer's bow string hand. Squeezing the two fingers together causes a slight rotation of the central extension releasing the bow string. U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,090 discloses a protective tab to protect the archer's fingers when drawing the bow string. U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,697 discloses a mechanical bow trigger mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 2,113,650 discloses a rectangular grip for the hand with a forward extending projection with notch for the bow string.




What is needed beyond the prior art is a device that does not rely on a forward projection or arm with notch for release of the bowstring. What is further needed beyond the prior art is a device that will provide the protection of the archer's tab while providing positive control of the bow string and positive control of the release of the bow string.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention meets the needs and solves the problems identified above by providing a rod shaped into a ring with a curved tail. The ring portion is placed upon the archer's middle finger and positioned near the finger's first joint. The tail is placed in front of the bowstring and hooked or grasped by the index finger. The bowstring is then pulled back and released by the index finger letting go of the tail.




The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers represent like parts of the invention.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a top view of the device.





FIG. 2

is a left side view of the device.





FIG. 3

is a top view of the device employed on an archer's hand with bowstring and arrow.





FIG. 4

is a left side view of the device employed on an archer's hand with bowstring and arrow.











DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS





FIG. 1

depicts release


10


having rod


16


of unitary construction with rod first end


12


and rod second end


14


. For reference in

FIG. 1

the direction toward the top of release


10


shall be forward and the direction toward the bottom of release


10


shall be rearward. Release


10


has tail


18


and ring


20


. Ring


20


is formed by bending rod


16


so that first end


12


is near or touching ring upper bend


27


. Tail


18


has tail first section


22


and tail second section


24


. Ring lower bend


26


is approximately opposite ring upper bend


27


. Ring upper bend


27


is approximately 120 degrees. Ring lower bend


26


is approximately 120 degrees. Tail second section


24


extends in a rearward direction and straight to tail upper bend


28


and tail lower bend


29


. Tail upper bend


28


is approximately 130 degrees. Tail lower bend is approximately 130 degrees. Tail first Section


22


extends in a forward direction and ends at rod second end


14


. In the preferred embodiment, rod


16


is made of {fraction (3/16)} inch stainless steel. In the preferred embodiment rod


16


is 4⅝ inches long of which tail


18


is 1⅛ inches and ring


20


is 4⅝ inches. In the preferred embodiment, ring


20


has a diameter of {fraction (3/16)} inches. Release


10


can be made in a range of sizes to the range of archer's hands.




Release


10


may be manufactured by bending rod


16


so that approximately 78 percent of the length of rod


16


is formed into an approximate circle. Next, the remaining approximate 22 percent of rod


16


which is tail


18


is bent at an angle of 120 degrees in the same plane as the circle so that tail second section


24


and tail first section


22


extend outward from the center of ring


18


. Next, first tail section


22


is bent forward at an angle of approximately 150 degrees to the plane of the circle of ring


18


at the approximate midpoint of tail


18


at an angle of approximately 130 degrees.





FIG. 2

depicts a left side view of release


10


. Tail


18


is bent downward from the plane of ring


20


and from ring


20


at an approximate angle of 150 degrees.





FIG. 3

depicts archer's hand


40


with thumb


42


, index finger


44


, middle finger


46


, fourth finger


48


and fifth finger


50


. Middle finger


46


is inserted into ring


20


and index finger


44


is positioned over tail


18


. Index finger


44


engages tail upper bend


28


. Bowstring


32


(see

FIG. 4

) engages ring lower bend


26


. Arrow


30


is held by archer's hand


40


by squeezing between index finger


44


and middle finger


46


.





FIG. 4

depicts a left side view of release


10


employed with bow string


32


drawn back. Bow string


32


is engaged with ring lower bend


26


. The ring portion is placed over middle finger


46


and positioned near middle finger joint


47


. To release bow string


32


, the archer releases tails second section


24


(see

FIG. 1

) by raising index finger


44


. Alternatively, the archer may release bow string


32


by sliding index finger


44


over tail first section


22


and past ring second end


14


. Bow string


32


then pushes tail


18


forward rotating about ring


20


on middle finger


46


. Therefore, release


10


does not rely on a forward projection or arm with notch for release of the bowstring as does the prior art. Moreover, release


10


that will provide the protection of the archer's tab while providing positive control of bow string


32


and positive control of the release of bow string


32


.




Release


10


may be manufactured by the following method. First, a {fraction (3/16)} inch stainless steel rod having a first end and a second is bent so that approximately 78 percent of the length of said rod is formed into an approximate circle so that the archer's index finger may be received in the circle. Second, the remaining approximate 22 percent of the rod is bent downward at an angle of approximately 150 degrees to the plane of the circle. Third, the remaining approximate 22 percent of the rod is bent at an angle of 120 degrees in the same plane as the circle. Fourth, at the approximate midpoint of the remaining 22 percent of the rod, the rod is bent at an angle of approximately 130 degrees so that a notch for the index finger is formed.




With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A bow string release device comprising:a ring; a tail fixedly connected to said ring; wherein said ring and said tail are formed from a rod; and wherein said tail is bent downward from the plane of said ring at an approximate angle of 150 degrees.
  • 2. The bowstring release device of claim 1 wherein said rod is made from {fraction (3/16)}″ stainless steel.
  • 3. The bowstring release device of claim 1 further comprising:a ring lower bend and a ring upper bend; rod first end; and wherein said rod first end bends in an approximate circle to a point near said ring upper bend.
  • 4. The bowstring release device of claim 1 wherein the tail further comprises:a tail first section and a tail second section; a tail upper bend and a tail lower bend; wherein said tail upper bend and said tail lower bend are located between said tail first section and said tail second section; and wherein said tail upper bend and said tail lower bend are approximately 150 degrees.
  • 5. A bow string release device comprising:a ring; a tail fixedly connected to said ring; wherein said ring and said tail are formed from a rod; and wherein said tail extends at an angle of approximately 120 degrees to said ring in approximately the same plane as said ring.
  • 6. A bow string release device for engaging a bowstring of an bow and an archer's hand having an index finger and a middle finger comprising:a ring having a ring lower bend and a ring upper bend; a rod having a first end and a second end; a tail fixedly connected to said ring, said tail having a tail first section and a tail second section; a tail upper bend and a tail lower bend; wherein said ring and said tail are formed from the rod; wherein said tail is bent downward from the plane of said ring at an approximate angle of 150 degrees; wherein said tail extends at an angle of approximately 120 degrees to said ring in approximately the same plane as said ring; wherein said rod first end bends in an approximate circle to a point near said ring upper bend; wherein said tail upper bend and said tail lower bend are located between said tail first section and said tail second section; wherein said tail upper bend and said tail lower bend are approximately 130 degrees; and wherein said ring rotatably engages said middle finger and said tail releaseably engages said index finger so that when said index finger releases said tail, said bow string is released.
  • 7. The bowstring release device of claims 6 wherein said rod is made from {fraction (3/16)} inch stainless steel.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Number Name Date Kind
350209 Parmelee Oct 1886
464465 Rogers Dec 1891
2133650 Baker Oct 1938
2488597 Konold Nov 1949
3608090 Wilson Sep 1971
3656467 Halter Apr 1972
3768456 Hansen Oct 1973
4458659 Troncosco Jul 1984
4620524 Saunders Nov 1986
5692490 Walker Dec 1997
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
WO 9104453 Sep 1989 WO