Abstract:
An archery target including a rigid frame including a target side, a sheet secured to the frame on a target side to create an interior compartment bounded by the sheet and the frame, a compressed density material in the compartment and a backing. The sheet can be a filtration screen constructed from synthetic polymers, optionally polyamide fibers, and can have a weight of 13 to 16 ounces per square yard, and can include parallel warp yams formed from three pairs monofilament polyamide fibers, the three pairs of fibers twisted together to form a cable yarn, as well as parallel fill yam formed from a single monofilament polyamide fiber. A related method includes: providing a rigid frame; securing a sheet to the frame to create an interior compartment; compressing a density material; and securing a backing to the frame.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/862,871, filed Oct. 25, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to targets, and more particularly, to multi-layered, durable archery targets. 
         [0003]    Archery targets come in a variety of configurations. Most targets are designed to: (a) safely stop and retain arrows; (b) facilitate arrow extraction; and (c) be relatively low in cost, durable and easily maintained. Where targets are used by multiple users at archery ranges and/or pro shops, or implemented in testing procedures by archery component manufacturers, the foregoing design objectives are especially important. 
         [0004]    Two primary targets are in use today. The first is what is referred to as a “bag target,” which generally includes a burlap or plastic exterior in the shape of a bag. The exterior includes one or more target faces. An internal batting is stuffed into the interior of the bag. Bag targets usually include a hanger or a support rod protruding from the top or sides of the bag, respectively, to support it. 
         [0005]    Although the bag target is generally suitable for occasional use, with extended use and multiple shots, the burlap and internal batting quickly wears out, which reduces the effectiveness of the target&#39;s arrow-stopping ability. More specifically, the individual woven strands of the burlap target face tend to be impacted by the point of arrow. After multiple impacts, individual strands are abraded, eventually causing the strand to break into two or more separate sections, which deteriorates the target face. Further, with conventional exteriors, the individual strands tend to separate after penetration by an arrow, and stay separated. If this occurs repeatedly, the strands can separate enough to create a hole through which the batting can fall out of the bag, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the bag target. Finally, some conventional bag targets tend to be less capable of quickly stopping arrows shot from faster-shooting, modern archery bows. 
         [0006]    A second, primary type of target is referred to as a “layered foam target.” In this construction, thin layers or sheets of foam are placed atop one another to form a cube of the layered foam. The cube includes a metal band or a plastic film that wraps tightly around the foam layers to compress the foam sheets and hold them together. The completed cube includes a target face formed by the ends of the foam sheets. Although this construction proves to be somewhat better at stopping high speed arrows than conventional bag targets, it tends to wear out because the impact of arrows striking the target face damages the individual layers of foam, and after time, creates holes in the target face. Moreover, with some extremely fast arrows shot from modern bows, the foam can melt on the arrow, which can change its trajectory and thus decrease shooting accuracy. 
         [0007]    In view of conventional archery targets, there exists a long-felt, unsolved need to provide an arrow target that is durable, that includes a quickly and repeatedly healing target face, and that can stop very fast arrows. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention is directed to an archery target including a rigid, structural frame including a target side, a sheet secured to the frame on a target side to create an interior compartment bounded by the sheet and the frame, a compressed density material located within the compartment, and a backing. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, the sheet can be a filtration screen constructed from synthetic polymers, optionally polyamide fibers. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, the filtration screen can have a weight of 13 to 16 ounces per square yard. Optionally, the filtration screen can be constructed from a woven fabric including a plurality of parallel warp yarns formed from three pairs of 4 mil to 12 mil monofilament polyamide fibers, the three pairs of fibers twisted together to form a cable yarn. Further optionally, the woven fabric can include a plurality of parallel fill yarns, the fill yams formed from a single 8 mil to 20 mil monofilament polyamide fiber. 
         [0011]    In yet another embodiment, the sheet can be secured to the frame in a stretched state so that the sheet forms a substantially planar target face of the target. Optionally, the sheet can be secured to the frame with at least two side by side rows of staples, the staples of one row staggered from the staples of another row. 
         [0012]    In a further embodiment, the density material is a fibrous material, optionally a fibrous polyester. The polyester can be compressed into the frame in such a manner so as to have a density of about 8 to about 20 pounds per cubic foot within the interior compartment, optionally about 10 to about 14 pounds per cubic foot within the interior compartment, further optionally about 12 pounds per cubic foot within the interior compartment. 
         [0013]    In yet a further embodiment, a method for manufacturing an archery target is provided including: providing a rigid, structural frame; securing a sheet to the frame to create an interior compartment bounded by the sheet and the frame; compressing a density material; and securing a backing to the frame. Optionally, the sheet and density material can have the constructions or characteristics noted in the embodiments above. 
         [0014]    The present invention provides an effective, durable, low cost archery target that overcomes the significant limitations of previous archery targets. The target sheet is constructed from a material that is extremely durable and self healing. Because of the durable nature of the material, the target face requires minimal maintenance and can withstand tens of thousand of shots. This decreases the overall cost to the owner of the target in replacement components and target down time. The compression of the density material also provides stored energy that quickly and efficiently stops arrows, yet facilitates easy arrow removal—in some cases, less than 2 to 5 pounds of force is required to remove an arrow from the target. Moreover, with the improved stopping power, over penetration of arrows is reduced, which preserves the useful life of fletchings on those arrows. 
         [0015]    These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the invention and the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of an archery target of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective, broken view thereof; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective, exploded view thereof; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a view of a sheet thereof; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a view of fibers included in the sheet; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the archery target being manufactured. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    An archery target in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 , and generally designated  10 . The archery target generally includes a frame  20 , density material  30 , a target side sheet  40  and a backing  50 . The frame  20 , sheet  40  and backing  50  cooperate to define an interior compartment  60 , in which the density material is contained in a compressed state. Although the present invention is described in connection with targets designed to be shot by archery arrows, this description is made for disclosure purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention to only archery targets. 
         [0023]    The components of the archery target  10  will now be described in more detail. As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the frame  20  is generally the shape of a square or rectangle; however, that this frame may be formed in other geometric shapes, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a trapezoid and the like. The frame can include a plurality of sidewalls  21 , joined together at their ends. The sidewalls may be joined with fasteners, such as nails, tacks, wire, staples screws and the like, or adhesives such as glue. Alternatively, the sidewalls may be integrally molded together as a single unit. The sidewalls  21  can be constructed from a rigid, substantially inflexible material, such as wood, but other material such as plastic, steel, composites, and the like may be used as desired. 
         [0024]    In the embodiment shown, the frame can be of a configuration so that it is able to free stand on one of its sidewalls, that is, the frame is able to self-support itself in an upright, vertical orientation so that the target side  22  of the frame faces an archer opposite the target side is the rear side  26 . Suitable width dimensions for a bottom sidewall for this configuration range from about 4″ to about 18″, optionally about 8″ to about 12″, and further optionally about 10″. The embodiment shown can come in a variety of overall dimensions as well, for example 24″×24″×10″ and 24″×18″×12″. 
         [0025]    The target side  22  can be bounded by a front perimeter  25 ; and the rear side can be bounded by a rear perimeter  27 . These perimeters can generally be in the shape of the frame. The perimeters can also be of a thickness so as to receive and hold fasteners driven into or otherwise connected to the perimeters (or optionally other portions of the frame) to secure the sheet  40  to the frame. As shown, the fasteners are about ¼″ to about 2½″ thick, but other dimensions can be used as desired. Indeed, the perimeters can be very thin, so that the sheet wraps around them onto the sides of the sidewalls  21  and is secured directly to those sides with fasteners or clamping mechanisms. 
         [0026]    The frame  20  defines an interior compartment  60  in which density material  30  is positioned. The density material  30  can be a compressed fibrous material ranging in density from about 8 to about 20 pounds per cubic foot within the interior compartment, optionally about 10 to about 14 pounds per cubic foot within the interior compartment, further optionally about 12 pounds per cubic foot within the interior compartment. The fibrous material can be filaments, strand and/or fibers of polyester, polypropylene, and/or other natural or synthetic fibers. Alternatively, the density material can be machined synthetic waste that is compacted and captured within the interior compartment  60 . The density material can also be any other suitable compressed fibrous material, or solid material such as foam, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, cotton, ethyl vinyl acetate, or any other suitable batting or target material. 
         [0027]    Within the archery target  10 , the density material  30  is in a compressed state. For example, in one embodiment, if the density material was removed from the target, it could expand to a volume of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20 and optionally 30 times the volume of the interior compartment. In this uncompressed state, the density material  30  can have a density of about 0.2 to about 4 pounds per cubic foot. 
         [0028]    The archery target also can include a cover  70 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The cover  70  can substantially coextensive with the sidewalls  21  of the frame  20 . The cover  70  can be constructed from decorative corrugated plastic, cardboard, wood, metal and other synthetic materials. In one embodiment, the cover covers the sidewalls  21 . It also can include flanges  71   20  that wrap around a portion of the front and rear perimeters of the frame  20 . Where it does this, it can conceal any fasteners  80  that are used to secure the sheet  40  or the backing  50  to the frame, if desired. 
         [0029]    The target sheet  40  can be secured to the frame in a variety of manners. As shown, however, it is secured with fasteners, such as staples, entirely around the front perimeter  25  of the frame. In other words, there are no gaps between independent fasteners around the perimeter of the frame. The fasteners  80  optionally can be aligned in two or more parallel, side-by-side rows  82 ,  84 . The individual staples of the rows can also be staggered or offset from one another around that perimeter to ensure adequate penetration into the frame  20 . When the sheet is fastened to the frame  20 , the sheet can be drawn taut across the frame so that no wrinkles or deformations in the sheet are readily visible. This can be done manually or via a mechanical stretching apparatus. Also, the sheet can be drawn taut enough so that it remains substantially planar, that is, it includes very little to no bulge outward, even with the density material compressed within the frame. Optionally, the sheet can be secured to the frame with devices other than staples, such as large headed nails, truss connectors, glue and the like. 
         [0030]    Alternatively, to secure the sheet  40  to the frame  20 , the frame can define a groove (not shown), and the sheet  40  can interfit within the groove. An assembly (not shown) including a projection (not shown) can be placed over the sheet in the groove, and forced into the groove to stretch the sheet over the frame. 
         [0031]    The target sheet  40  can be constructed from an industrial sheet material. One specific material suitable for being the target sheet is a filtration screen. Filtration screens are constructed from a screen fabric having mesh openings from 10,000 microns down to openings as small as 1 micron. The screens are available in polyamide (Nylon), polyester, polypropylene, PTFE or in other synthetic fibers. Filtration screens are used to act as a filter, capturing solids from a slurry, while permitting fluids from the slurry to flow through the screen. One specific example of a material suitable for use as a target sheet  40  is identified under the trademark Filtratex®, and identified as a 191-010 sheet, which is commercially available from Crosible Filtration, Inc., of Arlington, Tex., which has many of the characteristics that are set forth in the description that follows. 
         [0032]    The target sheet  40  can be constructed from a nylon (polyamide) or comparable synthetic material fibers and can include a modified satin weave. Other weaves can be substituted as desired. The sheet can have a thread count of 36 (“warp”)×35 (“fill” or “weft”) per inch. The terms used to describe the sheet  40  here, for example, warp and weft etc., are well known in the fabric field, and will only be illustrated briefly here and at  FIG. 4 . There, the warp  42  and weft  43  dimensions, along with openings  44  therebetween, are shown in a magnified view. Incidentally, it is of no consequence whether the warp  42  or weft  43  are oriented vertically or horizontally when the sheet  40  is installed on the target  10 . 
         [0033]    The thread count of the sheet  40  can vary from 16 (warp)×15 (weft) per inch to about 41 (warp)×40 (weft) per inch and any increments therebetween. The warp yarn  42  optionally can comprise a cable yarn including three pairs  42   a ,  42   b ,  42   c  of monofilaments. The warp yarn monofilaments can be  8  mils, but can vary from about 4 mils to about 12 mils. Each individual monofilament of a pair can be twisted together. There can be three pairs of twisted monofilaments per warp yarn  42 ; and these three pairs can be twisted together to form the resulting cable yarn ( FIG. 5 ). The cable yarn can be constructed so that it includes six turns per linear foot, and so that the return cable yarn can include five turns per linear foot (for example, 2×3, 6Z×5S). The weft or fill yarn  43  used in the sheet can be a monofilament of approximately 15 mils. This fill yarn  43  monofilament can vary from about 8 mils to about 20 mils. 
         [0034]    The weight of the sheet  40  can be about 15.5 ounces per square yard, but can vary from about 10 ounces per square yard to about 25 ounces per square yard. The finish of the sheet can be Greige and the width can be 24 inches, but can vary from 5 inches to about 200 inches. The standard tolerance of all the above parameters can be 10 percent unless otherwise indicated. 
         [0035]    It is believed that the above noted filtration screens are more durable than conventional screens because when shot with field tipped arrows, the arrow tips merely further open the openings  44  between individual cables and/or fibers, rather than contact, abrade and destroy the cables and/or fibers themselves. Moreover, when the arrow is removed, the fibers readily come together and re-close the arrow hole in the sheet. Accordingly, the material will not degrade as it would if it was penetrated and torn by a tip of an arrow. 
         [0036]    Further, when a filtration screen is used as a target sheet  40 , unexpected results are yielded. For example, conventional archery target manufacturing techniques teach toward conventional woven fabrics that function as textiles, such as burlap and utility grade woven polypropylene—thus, effectively teaching away from a screen material used for a completely different function, namely, to act as a filter, capturing solids from a slurry, while permitting fluids from the slurry to flow through the screen. 
         [0037]    The backing  50  can be secured to the rear perimeter  27  of the frame in the same manner as described above in connection with the sheet  40 . The backing can be constructed from the same material as the sheet  40 , or it can be constructed from other woven materials, fabrics, or plastic materials, or other materials different from that of the sheet  40 . 
         [0038]    To the frame  20 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , a handle  23  or other attachment to facilitate carrying can be attached. The handle  23  can be constructed from leather, plastic, wood, metal and other materials as desired. 
       II. METHOD OF MANUFACTURE  
       [0039]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  6 , a method for assembling the archery target  10  will now be described. The frame  20  is constructed by fastening the sidewalls  21  together. Where the sidewalls are integral with one another, this step can be eliminated. 
         [0040]    With the frame  20  constructed, the sheet  40  can be secured to the frame  20  to define an interior compartment  60 . The sheet  40  can be joined with the frame  20  with fasteners, such as staples  80 . The staples  80  can be aligned in two or more parallel, side by side rows  82 ,  84 . The individual staples of the rows can also be staggered or offset from one another around that perimeter to ensure adequate penetration into the frame  20 . As the sheet is fastened to the frame  20 , the sheet can be drawn taut across the frame to attain a stretched state wherein no wrinkles or sags in the sheet exist. This can be done manually or via a mechanical stretching apparatus. Any excess portions of the sheet that extend beyond the frame  20  undesirably can be trimmed or secured. Optionally, the excess portion can be trimmed with scissors or a hot knife. 
         [0041]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , a guide assembly  90  can be placed adjacent the frame, so that the opening of the guide assembly is contiguous with the interior compartment  60 , which as shown, opens upward. The density material  30 —in an uncompressed state—can be placed in the container created by the guide assembly  90  and the interior compartment  60 , optionally with a portion of the volume extending out of the container (not shown). A hydraulic jack  100  or other compression device can be used to exert significant force and compress the density material  30  into the interior compartment  60 . Alternatively, the density material can be pre-compressed an simply placed in the interior compartment  60  as desired. 
         [0042]    After the density material  30  is located in the interior compartment, the backing  50  can be secured to the frame  20  with fasteners as described above. Accordingly, the density material is captured and compressed within the target  10 . 
         [0043]    In another step, additional finishing tasks can be performed. For example, the cover  70  can be joined with the sidewalls  21  of the frame  20 . The cover flanges  71  can be wrapped around a portion of the front and rear perimeters of the frame  20  to conceal any fasteners  80  that are used to secure the sheet  40  or the backing  50  to the frame. A handle  23  optionally can be joined with the target as desired. The sheet  40  and backing  50  can be silk screened with indicia as desired. With the target  10  completed, it can be further processed for shipping. 
       III. EXAMPLES 
       [0044]    The following are examples of the performance of a target made according to the present invention. These examples are intended to be illustrative only, and in no way limit the scope of the invention. 
       Example 1 
       [0045]    In this example, a target included a target sheet which was a Filtratex® 191-010 filtration screen, and a density material compressed to about 12 pounds per cubic foot. The target  10  was shot about 55,000 times from a distance of 10 feet with arrows shot at 200-400 feet per second, with an arrow grouping of 8 inches, before product failure. Product failure included the target sheet having openings in the target face that were large enough for significant amounts of compressed density material to exit through the hole. This was a significant improvement over the performance of a conventional layered foam target, which needed to be replaced on average after only several thousand shots in a period of about 10 days. 
       Example 2 
       [0046]    In this example, a target such as that used in Example 1 was used. A carbon arrow was shot into the target at about 305 feet per second. Removal of the arrow from the target, however, required only about 1.5 to about 2.5 pounds of force. This amount of force is significantly less than other advertised arrow removal forces, around 24 pounds, for some conventional layered foam targets. 
         [0047]    The above descriptions are those of the preferred embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Any references to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.