Abstract:
A game scent delivery system includes a plurality of projectiles having a game scent and a projector that is capable of projecting one of the projectiles to a desired location. The projector includes a projectile launching member, a projectile storage unit that has a sufficient size to store a predetermined number of the projectiles, and a single projectile dispensing unit. The single projectile dispensing unit is integral with the projectile storage unit and is capable of dispensing a single projectile of the plurality of projectiles to the projectile launching member while retaining all of the plurality of projectiles in the projectile storage unit, except for the single projectile.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO A PROVISIONAL APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority on the following Provisional Applications: Serial No. 60/270,383, filed on Feb. 21, 2001; Ser. No. 60/314,407, filed on Aug. 23, 2001; and Ser. No. 60/312,652, filed on Aug. 14, 2001, the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to hunting equipment and, more specifically, to a system for delivering game scent to a desired location 2 .  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    One of the major problems facing hunters and photographers of wild animals is the difficulty of getting close the animals without being detected. Hunters and photographers commonly use animal attractants, such as game scents (e.g., doe urine and musk) as an attractant. The scents attract the animals to a desired area.  
           [0006]    These scents are typically purchased in bottles and then applied to the desired location. Currently, the most common method of application for these scents is by physically going to the location to be hunted and applying the scent manually to rocks, trees, or shrubs in the hunting area. Alternatively, the scents may be dispersed from spray bottles or soaked into wicks and hung from branches. In those methods of scent application, the hunter is subjected to the objectionable smell of the attractant scents, in addition to contaminating the hunting area with human scent. Since most wild animals are repelled by human scent, this type of application lessens the effectiveness of the attractant scent.  
           [0007]    One approach to overcoming these problems is by placing the scent product into a pellet of a size that may be fired from a gun, such as a carbon dioxide gas operated gun of the type used for shooting paint or dye pellets, typically referred to as “paint ball guns.” This method of delivering the attractant scent to the desired area eliminates the human scent contamination of the area and also eliminates the objectionable element of the attractant scent smell to humans. However, carbon dioxide powered guns give off a characteristic “popping” sound upon firing, which often scares off the game being attracted.  
           [0008]    Another approach is to place liquid scent into hollow balls and shoot the balls into the desired area with a slingshot. This method is much quieter than using a carbon dioxide powered gun. However, the use of an existing slingshot requires the hunter to handle the ball containing the scent. This results in the hunter&#39;s scent being imparted onto the ball. Furthermore, the ball must impact a hard object, such as a rock or a tree, with enough force to break the ball open and allow escape of the scent. Such impaction will create a loud sound that can frighten game away. Also, if the ball fails to strike a hard object, or fails to strike it with sufficient force, it will be rendered useless. Typical slingshots do not employ a system for storing and easily loading projectiles. Thus, they require the hunter to carry an extra container for the projectiles and are also hard to load in the dark.  
           [0009]    The above-described hollow balls are typically made of a non-biodegradable plastic. Thus, when a hunter or photographer uses them to attract game, if the user fails to clean up the remains of the balls after use, the area being hunted will become littered with the remains of the balls.  
           [0010]    Therefore, there is a need for a system for delivering a game scent to a desired location that is quiet, easy to use and that does not impart the user&#39;s scent on the desired area and that does not require clean-up after use.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention which, in one aspect, is a game scent delivery system that includes a plurality of projectiles having a game scent and a projector that is capable of projecting at least one of the projectiles to a desired location. The projector includes a projectile launching member, a projectile storage unit that has a sufficient size to store a predetermined number of the projectiles, and a single projectile dispensing unit. The single projectile dispensing unit is integral with the projectile storage unit and is capable of dispensing a single projectile of the plurality of projectiles to the projectile launching member while retaining all of the plurality of projectiles in the projectile storage unit, except for the single projectile.  
           [0012]    In another aspect, the invention is a scented projectile that includes a porous member and a game scent that is absorbed into at least a portion of the porous member.  
           [0013]    In yet another aspect, the invention is a slingshot that includes a handle, a valve member, a fork, an elastic member and a pouch. The handle has a top end and an opposite bottom end that defines a bottom opening. The bottom opening is of a size to allow at least one of a plurality of projectiles to pass therethrough. The handle defines a channel extending upwardly from the bottom opening. The channel is of a size to allow a predetermined number of projectiles to fit therein. The handle also defines a hole adjacent to the bottom end and a first holding member is adjacent to the bottom end. The valve member has an axial center and defines a recess that is of a size that allows only a single projectile to fit in the recess. The valve member is pivotally coupled to the handle adjacent the bottom end so as to be able to rotate between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the recess is in communication with the channel so as to be capable of receiving a projectile within the recess. Whereas when the valve member is in the second position, the recess is disposed away from of the channel so as to prevent projectiles within the channel from leaving the channel. A knob extends outwardly from the axial center of the valve member through the hole defined by the handle. The knob provides a surface that allows a user to rotate the valve member from the first position to the second position. A spring couples the valve member to the handle and returns the valve member from the second position to the first position. The fork, includes a first tine and a spaced-apart second tine extending upwardly from the top end of the handle. The elastic member has a first end and a second end. The first end is affixed to the first tine and the second end is affixed to the second time. The pouch is centrally affixed to the elastic member and is capable of holding a projectile therein. A second holding member extends from the pouch and is shaped so as to be capable of engaging the first holding member so that the pouch is held in a position to receive a projectile from the opening defined by the bottom end of the handle.  
           [0014]    These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a slingshot according to the invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1B is a cut-away perspective view of a slingshot according to the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a handle for a slingshot, according to the invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a side view of a pouch.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a door.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a valve member.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a bottom portion of the handle and a pouch, with the valve member in the first position  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of a bottom portion of the handle and a pouch, with the valve member in the second position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of“in” includes “in” and “on.” 
         [0024]    As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and  2 , the game scent delivery system includes a plurality of scented projectiles  122  and a projector, such as a slingshot  100 . Other types of projectors may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, examples of which include a spring-loaded gun and a tube or arm for flinging the projectiles  122  to a desired location. For most applications quietness in projecting the projectiles  122  is desirable. The projectiles  122  are porous members that have a game scent, or other animal attractant, that is absorbed into at least a portion of the porous member. Examples of suitable porous members include wood spheres, paper spheres, clay spheres (bisque spheres hold up better than unfired clay, but take longer to degrade) and spheres made of a mixture of paper or cellulose fibers and clay. If such a mixture is used, plaster may be added to the mix to make the projectiles last longer. The projectiles  122  may be spheres, or any other shape (e.g., cylinders) suitable for being launched by the projector.  
         [0025]    The slingshot includes a handle  110 , a valve member  130  at the bottom  114  of the handle  110 , a fork  124  extending upwardly from the top  112  of the handle  110 , an elastic member  140  attached to the fork  124  and a centrally disposed pouch  156  attached to the elastic member  140 .  
         [0026]    The handle  110  has a top end  112  and an opposite bottom end  114  that defines a bottom opening  116 . The bottom opening  116  is of a size to allow at least one of a plurality of projectiles  122  to pass therethrough. The handle  110  also defines a channel  118  extending upwardly from the bottom opening  116 . The channel  118  is of a size to hold a number of projectiles  122  therein. The valve member  130  meters projectiles  122  from the channel  118  to the pouch  156 . The handle  110  also defines a top opening  162 , which is in communication with the channel  118 , through which projectiles  122  may be loaded into the channel  118 . A door  164  (shown in greater detail in FIG. 4) is attached to the handle  110  via a hinge and covers the top opening  162 .  
         [0027]    The valve member  130 , as shown in more detail in FIGS. 5, 6A and  6 B, has an axial center  132  and defines a recess  134  that is of a size that allows only a single projectile  122  to fit in the recess  134 . The valve member  130  is pivotally coupled to the handle  110  adjacent to the bottom end  114  so as to be able to rotate between a first position (as shown in FIG. 6A) and a second position (as shown in FIG. 6B). While in the first position, the recess  134  is in communication with the channel  118  and can receive a projectile  122  within the recess  134 . When in the second position, the recess  134  is disposed away from of the channel  118 , allowing the projectile  122  to fall into the pouch  156 , and the valve member  130  prevents projectiles  122  within the channel  118  from leaving the channel  118 . The handle  110  defines a hole  120  adjacent to the bottom end  114  and a knob  138  extends outwardly from the axial center  132  of the valve member  130  through the hole  120  defined by the handle  118 . The knob  138  provides a surface that allows a user to rotate the valve member  130  from the first position to the second position. A spring  135  that couples the valve member  130  to the handle  110  returns the valve member  130  from the second position to the first position.  
         [0028]    Returning to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the fork  124  includes a first tine  126  and a spaced-apart second tine  128  extending upwardly from the top end  112  of the handle  110 . The elastic member  140  has a first end  142  coupled to the first tine  126  and a second end  144  coupled to the second tine  128 . The elastic member  140  may include a first portion  146  and a second portion  148 . The first portion  146  terminates in the first end  142  and also a first central termination  152 . Similarly, the second portion  148  terminates in the second end  144  and a second central termination  154 . The first central termination  152  and the second central termination  154  are both coupled to the pouch  156 . In one embodiment, both the first portion  146  and the second portion  148  include sections of rubber tubing.  
         [0029]    As shown in FIG. 3, the pouch  156  includes a projectile compartment  158  that is complimentary in shape to at least a portion of a projectile  122 . This enables holding of the projectile  122  without the user having to put holding pressure on the pouch  156 .  
         [0030]    As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a first holding member  172 , such as a detente, extends from the bottom end  114  of the handle  110 , and a second holding member  170 , such as a loop, extends from the pouch  156 . The second holding member  170  is shaped so as to be capable of engaging the first holding member  172  so that the pouch  156  is held in a position to receive a projectile  122  from the opening  116 . While a detente and a loop is shown, many other types of holding members could be employed. For example, a hook and loop fastener combination could be used. The holding members  170  and  172  allow the user to place the pouch  156  at the bottom end  114  of the handle  110 , where the pouch  156  is held as the user turns the knob  138  to cause a projectile  122  to be delivered from the channel  118  to the pouch  156 . A spring  135  causes the valve member  130  to return to the first position when the user lets go of the knob  138 . This enables the user to hold the handle  110  with one hand and place the pouch  156  in a receiving position and then cause the valve member  130  to drop a projectile  122  into the pouch  156  with the other hand,. All this may be done without the user having to touch the projectile  122 , which prevents getting the user&#39;s scent on the projectiles. In non-scent applications, such as using the slingshot  100  as a weapon, this system allows for more rapid firing of the slingshot  100 . The shape of the pouch  156  and the holding members  170  and  172  also facilitate use of the invention in the dark or at other times when the user is unable to look at the pouch  156  while loading.  
         [0031]    The game scent is any liquid scent that is attractive to the animals that the user wishes to lure. Doe urine is one example of a suitable scent for deer hunting applications. The porous members are soaked in the liquid scent long enough for a suitable amount of the scent to be absorbed. This time varies, depending on the concentration and type of the specific liquid scent being used and the type of porous member being used.  
         [0032]    The above described embodiments are given as illustrative examples only. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above.