Patent Grant
7814669
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sighting mechanisms for use in conjunction with archery bows. The present invention relates more specifically to bow sights that use illuminated spots to facilitate the aiming of an archery bow at targets over a variety of distances.
2. Background of the Invention
A number of devices have been developed to facilitate the aiming of an archery bow at a target positioned over a range of distances from the archer. The nature of archery is such that relatively small variations in distance to a target require relatively significant variations in the angle at which the archer holds the bow and aims towards the target. Whereas a distance difference of one hundred yards may merit little change in the aiming angle for a rifle, such distance variations in archery required a much more significant change in the aiming angle. Sighting devices designed for rifles do not translate well into sights suitable for bows.
Many sighting devices for archery have been developed in recent years that utilize light image aiming spots that are positioned within the archer's field of view. In general, such sights either provide a direct view of one end of a fiber optic light guide or provide a reflected image of an LED or other light source. The view produced in either case is typically positioned within a ring that forms the bow sight through which the archer aims. Fiber optic light wave guides are typically positioned within the field of view and extend to one side where they are arranged so as to either gather light from ambient sources or to connect to a small electrically powered light source such as an LED. Such designs provide the ability to individually adjust the position of each of the spots thus created within the bow sight.
Other efforts in the past have focused on providing electrical light sources either directly in the bow sight (in place of the fiber optic light wave guides) or positioning electrical light sources in such a manner that a reflection of the light source is directed towards the archer through the bow sight. What has not been achieved in the prior art is a bow sight that combines the advantages of a fiber optic based system utilizing ambient light with the advantages of a reflective bow sight system that eliminates the need to directly position light sources or light guides within the field of view. The present invention provides such a solution to the problem of an efficient, adjustable, and inexpensive bow sight.
Other efforts in the past have included the following patents and patent applications:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,805 issued to Stawarz on Feb. 25, 1992 entitled Bow Sight with Projected Reticule Aiming Spot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,278 issued to Kay on Jan. 24, 1995 entitled Wide Field of View Reflex Sight for a Bow.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,034 issued to Bindon on Aug. 5, 1997 entitled Reflex Sighting Device for Day and Night Sighting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,765 issued to Sherman on Aug. 3, 1993 entitled Illuminated Sight Having a Light Collector Serving a Fiber Optic.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,615 issued to Hoppe et al. on Mar. 7, 1995 entitled Light Archery Sight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,278 issued to London on Jun. 3, 1997 entitled Bow Sight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,159 issued to Kay et al. on Sep. 29, 1998 entitled Wide Field of View Reflex Gunsight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,775 issued to Hargrove et al. on Jun. 22, 1999 entitled Triangulation Rangefinder and Sight Positioning System.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,854 issued to Afshari on Apr. 27, 2004 entitled Illuminated Sight Pin.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0254065 A1 (Grace) published on Nov. 16, 2006 entitled Archery Bow Sight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,801 issued to Slates on Apr. 15, 1997 entitled Fiber Optic Pin Sight for a Bow.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0150429 A1 (Khoshnood) published on Jul. 13, 2006 entitled Ambient Light Collecting Sight Pin for a Bow Sight.
The full disclosures of each of the issued U.S. Patents and the Published Applications listed above are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference.
The present invention provides a bow sight that utilizes fiber optic wave guides as a basis for collecting ambient light and projecting multiple aiming spots within the archer's field of view. Rather than positioning the terminal end of the fiber optic wave guides directly in the field of view (as well as the required support structures), the wave guide terminal ends are positioned so as to have images thereof reflected on a moveable reflective objective optic within the archer's field of view. The multiple aiming spots thus reflected in the bow sight provide the archer with sighting spots for targets over a range of distances.
Each of the individual fiber optic wave guides collects ambient light and terminates in a terminal block that may be varied in its position so as to individually adjust the reflected image of the aiming spot. Various mechanisms for adjusting the position of the ambient light wave guides are also described.
The various figures include referenced elements and components that are common and which include the following referenced component:
The present invention is generally described by the referenced Drawing figures attached.
The side to side placement of the aiming spots in the field of view is achieved by way of a pivoting sight tube bracket. The elevation (vertical adjustment) of the individual aiming spots may be varied according to one of a number of different mechanisms within the fiber optic terminal block assembly as disclosed in the attached Drawing figures. Four (4) spot and five (5) spot versions of the preferred embodiments are shown although those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention lends itself to use in conjunction with systems that incorporate from three (3) to as many as seven (7) or more aiming spots. It is preferable to use different colored fiber optic wave guides for the different aiming spots to facilitate the choice of an appropriate spot for a particular range.
Sight stock 20 supports projection stock 22 and integrates fiber optic channel 24 with channel cover plate 26. Fiber optic terminal blocks (four spot version) 28a-28d incorporate fiber optic adjustment set screws (four spot version) 30a-30d projection stock 22. Fiber optic wave guides (four spot version) 32a-32d carry light from the light receptor coil assembly 34 mounted on the coil bracket 36 which is positioned on the sight base assembly 38.
Sight tube (sight ring) 40 integrates and holds reflective objective optic 42 with optic retainer ring 44. The angle of sight tube 40 can be adjusted using sight pivot screw 46 and sight adjustment screw 48.
The changing the configuration from side mounted fibers in the first preferred embodiment to mounting them vertically provides certain additional advantages. When the orientation is vertical with a side configuration, the virtual image generated by the concave lens can sometimes be skewed and as a result may not accurately track the arrow point of impact due to the extreme side angle of reflection. If this is the case, the second preferred embodiment provides an orientation where the fiber holders are located vertically and back in an adjustable housing.
The entire adjustable housing can move side to side with an adjustment screw as described above. This arrangement allows the archer to sight the bow with the overall sight adjustments and then center the dots in the lens with the housing adjustments. Each fiber holder is still individually adjustable vertically, to sight in at the varying distances.
The fiber optic fibers are run out of the housing and through the grove in the main support beam. They are run along the top, side and front of this beam to gather ambient light from all directions. In the preferred embodiment, these fibers are held in clear plastic tubing which may be adhered to the main beam.
The lens in the second preferred embodiment is a concave semi-reflective lens. Depending on availability, a 4-base circular lens with a red semi-reflective coating may be used (the type often used on sunglasses). The fibers must be placed at a specific distance in order to generate the proper virtual image in the lens. This distance is critical to track the point of impact. The light source must be at a precise proportion to the focal length of the lens. The resulting virtual image is greatly magnified and perfectly in line with the point of impact.
Depending on the diameter of the fiber optic fiber the above mentioned magnification can cause some problems. With a fiber of 0.020″ the lens magnifies about 3 times and the resulting dot is too big in the view of the archer. The large image is not accurate enough at the longer ranges. One solution is to countersink a 0.023″ hole into the holder and then drill out a 0.010″ hole for the light to shine through. This cuts the fiber image in half so that it is usable to the archer. This may be a practical approach to reducing the size of the light spot image when necessary.
Although a specific advantage of the present invention is its ability to gather ambient light, it is adaptable for use in conjunction with artificial light sources. The basic system of the present invention may be used in conjunction with standard bow sight mounts that provide horizontal and vertical support adjustments. In addition, the system allows for use on either right or left handed bows by simply inverting the assembly. The system does not interfere with the arrow or the arrow rest in any configuration and generally adds little to the weight of the bow. The various components of the system of the present invention are easily assembled and disassembled as needed for adjustment, maintenance, and/or replacement. The same basic frame, sight tube, and light gathering assembly, may be used with any of the various described fiber optic terminal block assemblies.
The system of the present invention combines the advantages of an ambient light fiber optic bow sight with the advantages of a reflex bow sight. Specifically, the bow sight of the present invention requires no electrical power and collect sufficient ambient light to provide easily visible aiming spots. The system utilizes multiple fiber optic wave guides in order to provide multiple, independently adjustable, aiming spots. The system uses a reflective objective optic to reflect an image of the bright ends of the fiber optics within the field of view. Unlike most systems that utilize fiber optic wave guides, the present invention does not clutter or obstruct the field of view with support structures or other components required by non-reflex systems.
This application claims the benefit under Title 35 United States Code §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/936,121; Filed: Jun. 18, 2007, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5090805 | Stawarz | Feb 1992 | A |
| 5231765 | Sherman | Aug 1993 | A |
| 5351671 | Cervera | Oct 1994 | A |
| 5383278 | Kay | Jan 1995 | A |
| 5394615 | Hoppe et al. | Mar 1995 | A |
| 5456035 | Stiles | Oct 1995 | A |
| 5619801 | Slates | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5634278 | London | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5653034 | Bindon | Aug 1997 | A |
| 5685081 | Winegar | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5813159 | Kay et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5914775 | Hargrove et al. | Jun 1999 | A |
| 6634110 | Johnson | Oct 2003 | B2 |
| 6725854 | Afshari | Apr 2004 | B1 |
| 7082690 | Khoshnood | Aug 2006 | B1 |
| 7086161 | Ellig et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 7574810 | LoRocco | Aug 2009 | B1 |
| 20010032393 | Springer | Oct 2001 | A1 |
| 20050150119 | Ellig et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20060150429 | Khoshnood | Jul 2006 | A1 |
| 20060156561 | Afshari | Jul 2006 | A1 |
| 20060254065 | Grace | Nov 2006 | A1 |
| 20070028467 | Bradley et al. | Feb 2007 | A1 |
| 20070068018 | Gilmore | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20090000134 | Kurtzhals et al. | Jan 2009 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090139100 A1 | Jun 2009 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60936121 | Jun 2007 | US |
