Patent Application
20240302142
The present invention relates to the field of target throwers for sport shooting practices. It finds a particularly advantageous application in practices like ball-trap and derivative activities.
Many thrower solutions propose devices wherein an arm is rotatably hinged, a target is positioned on a tray, and through a rotational movement of the arm, the target is pushed by the arm and consequently ejected off the device according to a predetermined trajectory.
For the ejection to take place, the push should be strong enough to enable a shooter to give a try.
The push could have a tendency to break up the target. Indeed, for these practices, the used projectiles are particularly fragile in order to fill their function. One of the challenges of the solutions in this field is to enable an ejection over a large distance without breaking the target.
For this purpose, coatings or damping elements are positioned at the tip of the arm.
The patent application FR2696538A1 is known from the prior art, wherein a target throwing apparatus for shooting is disclosed comprising a throwing tray on which at least one target is positioned, a throwing arm comprising a damping element, and configured so as to be able to be movable in rotation according to an axis relative to the throwing tray, the arm being set in accelerated movement using a spring which triggers the movement until contact between the damping element and the target, and finally the ejection.
The projection of the target is due in particular to the angular acceleration of the throwing arm. During a throwing cycle, it happens that the arm performs a 360 degree rotation from a starting position. The initial velocity is then zero and the acceleration occurs over a first angular sector of about 130 degrees. During this phase, the target rolls along an elastomer secured to the arm up to its end where the ejection of the target takes place. In general, the used energy originates from the expansion of a spring. A connecting rod may ensure the connection between the spring and the arm. Tensioning the spring may be done by a gearmotor whose end is in contact with the connecting rod. In general, the expansion of the spring occurs when crossing an equilibrium point.
One of the challenges of these throwing systems is to increase the ejection distance. One solution consists in increasing the rotational speed by increasing the stiffness of the spring. Yet this requires an increase of the power of the gearmotor as well as a reinforcement of the idle wheel.
Another technical solution consists in increasing the length of the arm. In general, the arm being a solid profile with a rectangular section and made of an aluminium alloy, an increase in the latter is accompanied with an increase of its mass at the periphery and increases the inertia of the mechanism which could lead to an unbalance of the system.
Hence, an object of the present invention is to provide a solution that allows improving the projection phase, and in particular increasing the ejection distance without increasing the power of the gearmotor while preserving a good stability of the device, or performing a projection over common distance in better conditions, for example by reducing bending of the arm or its inertia, or the power of the gearmotor.
The other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear upon examining the following description and the appended drawings. It is understood that other advantages can be incorporated therein.
To achieve this objective, according to one embodiment, a target throwing device is provided, comprising a support, an arm and a tray, wherein the arm is rotatably hinged relative to the support according to an axis of rotation Az, directed along a direction of rotation (z), so as to be able to eject a target arranged on the tray, and wherein the arm comprises:
Without this device, a longer arm should for example be used, or the power transmitted by an actuator-spring to the arm is increased. Indeed, a longer arm according to the direction of extension allows for a higher velocity at the tip of the arm, which is necessarily accompanied with a higher acceleration and thus a stronger projection of the target.
Reducing the inertia of the arm is made possible by reducing its mass. This mass reduction results from a first indentation and from a second indentation. The dimension of the arm may be kept according to the direction of extension x. Advantageously, the damping element is positioned and fixed in the first indentation.
Thus, the device allows avoiding changing the material and advantageously enables an identical resistance to bending.
Hence, the device preferably allows obtaining an increase in the projection distance of a target thrower by reducing the mass of the throwing arm.
According to one example, in order to increase the projection distance, it will be possible to both increase the length of the arm, and limit the bending deformation of the arm by widening its base. More specifically, one object is to propose an improvement of the throwing arm.
The aims, purposes, characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description of one embodiment thereof, which is illustrated by means of the following accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. They constitute diagrammatic views intended to ease the understanding of the invention and are not necessarily to the scale of practical applications.
Before starting a detailed review of embodiments of the invention, optional features that may be used in combination or alternatively are set out hereinafter:
According to one example, the elongate member 210 comprises a first wing 214, a second wing 215, a third wing 216 and a fourth wing 217, the wings being directed according to the transverse direction y.
According to one example, the first wing 214 comprises a first inner wall 214a, the second wing 215 comprises a second inner wall 215a and the first indentation 211 extends according to the direction of extension x and is delimited by the first inner wall 214a, by the second inner wall 215a and by a central wall 213a extending from the first inner wall 214a up to the second inner wall 215a.
According to one example, the damping element 220 comprises a mounting portion 222 and a contact portion 221, so that the mounting portion 222 comprises coupling surfaces 222b, 222c configured so as to be able to cooperate by coupling with the first inner wall 214a and a stop wall 214c of the first wing 214, in particular to enable positioning of the damping element 220 in contact with an edge of the first wing 214.
According to one example, the damping element 220 is made of an elastomeric material for example of EPDM 70 Shore and extends according to the direction of extension x and/or the elongate member 210 is made of an aluminium alloy like for example an (AlZn5, 5MGCu) 7075 alloy.
According to one example, according to the direction of rotation z, the dimension of the arm z200 is equal to the height dimension of the elongate member z210, preferably equal to 12 mm.
According to one example, the elongate member 210 has a lower face 210b and the damping element 220 has a lower damping face 220b so that the lower face 210b and the lower damping face 220b are coplanar.
According to one example, the elongate member comprises a section with a width variable and decreasing when getting away from the axis of rotation Az.
According to one example, the contact portion 221 comprises a planar contact surface 221c, configured to be directed inwardly of the rotational movement of the throwing arm 200 during the target 300 ejection phase, and perpendicular to the transverse direction y.
According to one example, the core 213 is a parallelepipedic plate comprising a midplane parallel to both the direction of extension x and the direction of rotation z, and the elongate member 210 and a part having a shape symmetry according to said midplane.
According to one example, the distance between the first inner wall 214a and the second inner wall 215a is larger than 4 mm, preferably larger than 6 mm and preferably larger than 8 mm.
According to one example, in section, according to a plane perpendicular to the direction of extension x, the thickness of the core 213 is equal to the respective thickness of the four wings 214, 215, 216, 217, preferably equal to 2 mm.
It is specified that in the context of the present invention, the term “thrower” is sometimes used instead of “machine” as a claimed object, these terms should be considered as equivalent.
In the context of the invention, by “radial orientation” or “radially”, reference is made to the positioning of an element movable in rotation relative to an axis.
The terms “substantially”, “about”, “in the range of” mean “within a 10% margin, preferably within a 5% margin” or, when it consists of an angular orientation, “within a 10° margin”. Thus a direction substantially normal to a plane means a direction having an angle of 90±10° with respect to the plane.
In the following description, the term “over” does not necessarily mean “directly over”. Thus, when it is indicated that a part or a member A bears “on” a part or a member B, this does not mean that the parts or members A and B are necessarily in direct contact with the other. These parts or members A and B can either be in direct contact or bear on one another through one or more other part(s). The same applies for other expressions such as the expression “A acts on B” which could mean “A acts directly on B” or “A acts on B through one or more other part(s)”.
In the present disclosure, the term movable corresponds to a rotational movement or to a translational movement or to a combination of movements, for example the combination of a rotation and of a translation.
In the present disclosure, when it is indicated that two parts are distinct, this means that these parts are separate. They are:
Hence, a one-piece unitary part cannot be formed by two distinct parts.
In the present patent application, the term “secured” used to describe the connection between two parts means that the two parts are bound/fastened to each other, according to all degrees of freedom, unless stated otherwise. For example, if it is indicated that two parts are secured in translation according to a direction X, this means that the parts could be movable relative to each other except according to the direction X. In other words, if a part is moved according to the direction X, the other part performs the same movement.
As illustrated in
The throwing arm 200 comprises a damping element 220 configured to preferably be positioned at the tip of the arm in order to dampen the contact between the throwing arm 200 and the target 300 and thus create an adherence surface. Without the presence of the damping element 220, contact between the throwing arm 200 and the target 300 may result in cracking of the target 300. Indeed, this type of devices is intended for target 300 throws for sport shooting and these targets 300 are made of a brittle material which should be able to fall apart upon contact with a projectile which could be a lead sheaf.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Preferably, the support 100 is fixed with respect to the ground during the throwing phase. In
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The damping element 220 is positioned under the throwing arm 200 so that it could touch the tray 110 in order to allow for the best possible contact upon contact thereof with the target 300. Such a positioning of the damping element 220 on the elongate member 210 increases the height dimension z200 of the arm.
In order to enable a farthest projection of the target, the velocity of the arm 200 should be increased.
The present invention allows increasing the velocity of the arm by reducing its mass. This mass reduction results from a first indentation 211 and from a second indentation 212. The dimension of the throwing arm 200 remains unchanged compared to the solution of the prior art according to the direction of extension x. Advantageously, the damping element is positioned and fixed in the first indentation 211.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Preferably, the first wing 214 comprises a first inner wall 214a and the mounting portion 222 comprises a first coupling surface 222b configured so that the first inner wall 214a comes into plane-over-plane contact with the first coupling surface 222b.
Advantageously, the first wing 214 comprises a stop wall 214c and the mounting portion 222 comprises a second coupling surface 222c configured so that the stop wall 214c comes into plane-over-plane contact with the second coupling surface 222c.
Advantageously, the cooperation between the damping element 220 and the elongate member 210 is optimised such that the elongate member 210 comprises a lower face 210b and the damping element comprises a lower damping face 220b so that the lower damping face 220b and the lower face 210b are preferably coplanar when the damping element 220 is secured to the elongate member 210.
As illustrated in
Preferably, contact between the first wing 214 and the damping element 220 comprises at least one contact by the edge of the first wing 214, so that the forces applied by the reaction of a target upon projection on the damping element 220 is taken up, at the rear, by said edge. And thus, a compressive deformation of the damping element 220 at this level, which makes arrangement thereof with respect to the target reliable. Preferably, the contact is of the plane-over-plane type.
Alternatively, or complementarily, a contact perpendicular to the loading direction of the damping element 220 by the target may be provided for between the first wing 214 and the damping element 220, in particular at the surface 222b. This aspect allows profiting from a potentially large bearing surface between these two elements. Preferably, the contact is of the plane-over-plane type.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the height dimension of the arm z200 is equal to the height dimension of the elongate member z210. Thus, the space between the tray 110 and the revolving cylinder support plate 113 may also be reduced which suppresses the likelihood of jamming of the target 300 between the revolving cylinder support plate 113 and the comma-like part 111.
Indeed, according to this same particular embodiment, the height dimension of the damping element z220 is smaller than or equal to the height dimension of the elongate member z210 so that when the damping element 220 is positioned and is held in position with the elongate member 210, the damping element 220 does not protrude beyond the elongate member 210, according to the direction of rotation z. Thus, the volume of the throwing area 112 is advantageously reduced and a target 300 can no longer be jammed therein. Consequently, a target 300 destruction within the throwing area 112 is avoided and therefore, a maintenance operation intended to put the machine back into working order is also avoided.
Finally, the present invention does not requires changing the material and offers an identical resistance to bending.
According to a particular embodiment, the elongate member 210 is made of a metallic material. Possibly, it could consist of an aluminium alloy, preferably of the “7075” type whose Young's modulus is preferably equal to 72 N·mm−2. Preferably, the elongate member 210 is a part made in one-piece.
Furthermore, a force with a normal component directed according to the direction of rotation Z is created at the free end of the arm, as a result of the contact between the throwing arm 100 and the target 300. Hence, the throwing arm 100 should structurally oppose this normal stress resulting from a bending moment.
According to a particular embodiment, in section, according to a plane perpendicular to the direction of extension x, the first indentation 211 and the second indentation 212 are identical and distributed symmetrically on each side of the core 213.
According to the same embodiment, the thickness of the core is equal to the thicknesses of the first wing 214, of the second wing 215, of the third wing 216, as well as of the fourth wing 217.
Preferably, this thickness may be equal to 2 mm. Preferably, the elongate member 210 has a height dimension z210 according to the direction of rotation z equal to 12 mm and/or has a width dimension according to the transverse direction y equal to 30 mm.
According to this same embodiment, the damping element 220 has a height dimension z220 according to the direction of rotation z equal to 6 mm.
According to an example “A”, shown in
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention “B” and shown in
Thus, the present invention also allows for a mass reduction, also a better resistance to the stress derived from the bending moment.
According to one embodiment, the mounting portion 222 comprises, in turn, openings so as to be able to enable the secure connection of the damping element 220 with the elongate member 210.
Advantageously, this assembly is performed using bending elements which may possibly consist of threaded elements, in particular by screwing.
According to another embodiment, the damping element 220 is fastened to the elongate member 210 using a glue.
According to a particular embodiment, the throwing arm 200 is advantageously driven in rotation by a connecting rod/crank system, itself connected to a spring system, itself actuated by a motor. With the same motor power:
As illustrated in
In general, a larger throwing arm 200 results in a greater deflection at the tip of the arm due to a greater bending moment. To overcome this mechanical deformation, the present invention suggests providing a larger section of the base 218 according to the transverse direction y.
According to one embodiment, the third wing 216 comprises a third inner wall, the fourth wing 217 comprises a fourth inner wall 215a and the second indentation 212 extends according to the direction of extension x and is delimited by the third inner wall, by the fourth inner wall and by a second central wall extending from the third inner wall 214a up to the fourth inner wall.
According to a particular embodiment, the damping element 220 is made of an elastomeric material which extends like a profile according to a direction of extension x and/or the elongate member 210 is made of an aluminium alloy.
According to a particular embodiment, the contact portion 221 comprises a planar contact surface 221c, configured to be directed forwards according to the direction of rotation.
According to a particular embodiment, the articulation of the throwing arm 200 with the support 100 enabling the rotation according to the direction of rotation z is positioned at a first end of the throwing arm 200 and the damping element 220 extends from a second end of the throwing arm 200.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2102062 | Mar 2021 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/055004 | 2/28/2022 | WO |
