Bowstring release with adjustable wrist strap

A bowstring release assembly is adapted for connection to the wrist of a user and includes a jaw mechanism adapted to receive, retain, and release a bowstring, and an adjustable wrist strap connected to the jaw mechanism via an extension member. The adjustable wrist strap includes a flexible base member adapted to fit around the wrist of a user. A first anchor member is connected to one end portion of the wrist strap and a second anchor member connected to another end portion. A cable is fixed with respect to one of the anchor members and is adapted to engage the other of the anchor members to thereby draw the first and second end portions toward each other and cinch the adjustable wrist strap around the wrist of a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to archery equipment, and more particularly to a bowstring release assembly with an adjustable wrist strap.

Many accessories for archery bows are available for facilitating bow handling, stabilizing the bow during use, improving aiming accuracy, and so on. Once such accessory is in the form of a wrist strap with an attached bowstring release. Archery bowstrings of compound bows typically have pull forces on the order of about 40 to 90 pounds. The use of wrist straps has become common to accommodate these large forces which have the potential to cause possible injury to the archer's fingers. A wrist strap removes the force of the bowstring that would otherwise be present on the fingers and spreads the force over a relatively large surface area of the wrist and the back of the archer's hand while leaving at least the thumb or index finger of the hand free to activate the trigger mechanism of the bowstring release.

Since the hands and wrists of archers come in many different shapes and sizes, wrist straps are typically adjustable to accommodate as many archers as possible. Prior art solutions for adjustable wrist straps have included buckles and hook and loop fasteners. Buckles, while providing a relatively secure attachment to the wrist, are difficult to manipulate during installation on the wrist and adjustment about the wrist since only one hand is available to accomplish the task. In addition, since the wrist strap is typically installed on the right hand and wrist for a right-handed archer, for example, the left hand must be used for both installation and adjustment, contributing to additional awkwardness of the procedures. Moreover, since holes on the wrist strap are typically at discrete locations, the buckle solution is inadequate for many archers since the strap may be either too loose or too tight for comfort and/or for safety reasons. If the wrist strap is too loose, the force of the bowstring can cause the wrist strap to be pulled off of the archer's hand and cause potential damage to the archery bow and potential injury to the archer.

Although the provision of hook and loop fasteners in place of the buckle provides increased comfort, ease of attachment, and infinite adjustment of the wrist strap size over a substantial range, and can accommodate a generally wider spectrum of wrist sizes, there are significant drawbacks. For instance, the hooks of the fastener associated with one adjustable section of the wrist strap may not be in full locking engagement with the loops associated with another adjustable section of the wrist strap. This may be due to several reasons including partial straightening of the hooks from extended use, a failure to fully and properly engage the hooks and loops, the collection of interfering foreign material on the hooks and loops, and/or the placement of the hook and loop fasteners in an orientation whereby the force of the bowstring causes a peeling action to pull the hooks and loops apart. Further, for users having a rather large wrist, the engagement area of the hook and loop fastener may be reduced to the point where it is ineffective under the bowstring load.

If the wrist strap separates under load, the result can either be a misdirected shot, which in and of itself may have serious consequences, as well as possible injury to the archer since the bowstring will tend to pull the wrist strap from the wrist, causing the strap to flail about as the bowstring snaps forward. Since the archer's other hand and arm are positioned in close proximity to the path of bowstring movement, the wrist strap and/or the bowstring release may strike the archer's hand or arm under high velocity and with great force, potentially causing serious injury to the archer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a bowstring release assembly is adapted for connection to the wrist of a user and includes a jaw mechanism adapted to receive, retain, and release a bowstring, and an adjustable wrist strap connected to the jaw mechanism. The adjustable wrist strap includes a flexible base member adapted to fit around the wrist of a user. The flexible base member has a first end portion, a second end portion, and a middle portion located between the first and second end portions. A first anchor member is connected to the first end portion and a second anchor member connected to the second end portion. A cable is fixed with respect to one of the anchor members and is adapted to engage the other of the anchor members to thereby draw the first and second end portions toward each other and cinch the adjustable wrist strap around the wrist of a user.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, an adjustable wrist strap includes a flexible base member adapted to fit around the wrist of a user. The flexible base member has a first end portion, a second end portion, and a middle portion located between the first and second end portions. A first anchor member is connected to the first end portion and a second anchor member connected to the second end portion. A cable is fixed with respect to one of the anchor members and is adapted to engage the other of the anchor members to thereby draw the first and second end portions toward each other and cinch the adjustable wrist strap around the wrist of a user.

It is noted that the drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof. It is further noted that the drawings may not be necessarily to scale. The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and toFIGS. 1-3in particular, a bowstring release assembly10in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The bowstring release assembly10preferably includes an adjustable wrist strap12and a jaw mechanism14that extends from the wrist strap via an extension member24for engaging a bowstring15(shown in broken line inFIG. 3) and/or a string loop or “D” loop. The present invention is primarily adapted for use with compound bows due to the high pull forces that otherwise may injure the fingers of an archer, but may also be used with recurve bows, reflex bows, longbows, and so on.

The jaw mechanism14as shown is of conventional construction and includes a pair of jaws16,18that extend outwardly from a trigger device20. A trigger22forms part of the trigger device and, when pulled, causes movement of one or both jaws toward an open position, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, to either release the bowstring or string loop when shooting, or allow entry of the bowstring or string loop into the center of the jaws when getting ready to assume a shooting stance. Likewise, pushing the trigger22in the opposite direction causes movement of one or both jaws toward the closed position, as shown inFIG. 3, to encircle the bowstring15or string loop. The internal components that permit operation of the jaw mechanism14in the above-described manner are well known and therefore will not be further described.

The extension member24is connected to the jaw mechanism14and the wrist strap12. The extension member24can be adjustable in any well known-manner for accommodating the different hand sizes and preferences of archers so that a proper shooting position can be achieved. It will be understood that other jaw mechanisms and/or trigger devices can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

With additional reference toFIG. 4, the wrist strap12preferably includes a flexible base member26that is adapted to at least partially surround the wrist28(shown in broken line inFIG. 3) when worn by an archer. The base member26is preferably generally V-shaped in construction and has a top surface30and bottom surface32with an apex portion36, and a first end portion55and a second end portion62that diverge from the apex portion36. It will be understood that the term “end portion” as used herein can include any portion of the flexible base member up to the geometrical center thereof. Preferably, the flexible base member26is constructed of a center padding layer33, an upper lining layer35, and a lower lining layer37that have the same shape as the center layer33. The center layer, upper layer and lower layer are preferably connected together via a continuous edging39that extends around the periphery of the base member and wraps around the edge thereof so that a portion of the edging is positioned on the top surface30and bottom surface32. The edging39is preferably connected to the layers by stitching. However, it will be understood that other means for connecting the layers together can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The upper and lower layers can be used to add strength to the center layer and can be of any color or pattern, such as various camouflage patterns, to thereby provide both functional and aesthetically pleasing effects. However, it will be understood that the base member26can be constructed of a single layer of material or, alternatively, more than three layers of material, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

As best shown inFIGS. 1 and 4, a connecting member34is preferably attached to the top surface30of the base member26at the apex portion36thereof via a pair of bands38and40that extend through slots42and44, respectively, of a bottom wall45of the connecting member34. The bands38and40are preferably folded over so that the opposite ends46and48of each band are secured to the base member26, preferably through stitching, to thereby create loop portions that extend through the slots. However, it will be understood that other means for attaching the connecting member34to the base member26can be used, including but not limited to, adhesive bonding, clamping, mechanical fastening, and so on. The connecting member34preferably includes a top wall50and a pivot pin52that extends between the top wall50and bottom wall45. The extension member24is in turn preferably pivotally connected to the pivot pin to accommodate different hand shapes and sizes, as well as the preferences of individual archers for positioning the trigger device20at a desired location with respect to the thumb and/or forefinger of an archer, as shown inFIG. 3.

An adjustment mechanism54is connected to the flexible base member26for cinching the wrist strap12around the wrist28(FIG. 3) of a user with virtually infinite adjustment. The adjustment mechanism54preferably includes a first anchor member56connected to the top surface30of the flexible base member26at or near the first end portion55of the base member, and a second anchor member60connected to the top surface30at or near the opposite second end portion62of the base member26, and a cable58that extends between the first and second anchor members. The first anchor member is preferably in the form of a reel assembly for winding and unwinding the cable58, as will be described in greater detail below. It will be understood that the position of the first anchor member56and second anchor member60can be switched without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The cable58preferably includes leg segments61and63that extend from a loop segment. The loop segment preferably extends around the second anchor member60while the ends of the leg segments are fixedly connected to the reel assembly (first anchor56). However, it will be understood that the cable58can be fixed directly to the base member26and/or to another component of the wrist strap without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The cable58can be constructed of any suitable material, including but not limited to, metal, plastic, synthetic and/or natural fibers, and so on, in multi-stranded or single-stranded configurations, as long as the cable58meets minimal tensile strength requirements reflective of the greatest pull forces of an archery bow, plus an additional safety factor. Accordingly, the term “cable” refers to any elongate, flexible material that meets the tensile strength requirements of a particular archery bow application.

Cable guides64and66are also preferably connected to the top surface30near the end portions55and62, respectively, of the base member26. The cable guides64and66are preferably constructed of a flexible material that is resistant to wear and forces that may occur during cinching of the wrist strap12and during full draw of the archery bow. When constructed of flexible material, the cable guides64and66are preferably attached to the base member26by stitching. However, it will be understood that other connecting means can be used, such as adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, clamping, and so on. In addition, it will be understood that the cable guides can alternatively be constructed of a rigid material and attached to the base member26in any well-known manner.

As best shown inFIGS. 2 and 4, a band68is preferably connected to the bottom surface32of the flexible base member26. The band68is preferably constructed of a stretchable material, such as rubber or other elastomers, and includes a first edge70that extends transverse to the first end portion55of the base member26and a second, opposite edge72that extends transverse to the second end62to thereby form an opening73. The edges70,72are preferably stitched to the base member26, although other connecting means can be used, as previously described. The opening73is preferably sized to receive the hand of a user so that the wrist strap12can be easily installed and held on the wrist even before the wrist strap is cinched. A cable guide76is preferably stitched or otherwise attached to the band68transverse to the length of the band for receiving the legs61and63of the cable58.

The first anchor member56, embodied as a reel assembly, preferably includes a ratcheting spool such that the cable58is wound on the spool when rotated in one direction and is locked against movement in the opposite direction. A suitable reel assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,599 to Hammerslag or U.S. Pat. No. 7,950,112 to Hammerslag et al., the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

In use, as shown inFIG. 5, the hand of a user is first inserted through the opening73until the wrist strap12is positioned over the wrist. In this position, the cable58will be loose and, depending on the size of the user's wrist, the wrist strap12may also be loose. The first anchor member56is then rotated in a direction as denoted by arrows76, to thereby wrap the legs61,63of the cable58around the spool until the wrist strap12is cinched snugly around the user's wrist, as shown inFIG. 6. In this manner, the wrist strap12can be installed and cinched with one hand without the difficulties associated with the prior art as described above.

In order to release the spool from the locked condition and loosen the cable58, as shown inFIG. 7, the first anchor member56is pulled outwardly, as denoted by arrow78. In this position, the first anchor member56is free to rotate. As the wrist strap12is stretched over the hand during removal, the cable58will be loosened. The first anchor member56can then be pressed in the opposite direction of arrow78so that the wrist strap12is ready for installation on the hand of a user.

As shown inFIG. 7, the first anchor member56is positioned on the left side of the right wrist for easy access by the left hand for installation and removal of the wrist band. However, it will be understood that the first anchor member56can be positioned on the right side of the left wrist for left-handed archers so that the right hand has easy access to the reel. In accordance with yet a further embodiment of the invention, the first anchor member56can be located at the middle of the wrist to accommodate both left-handed and right-handed archers.

Referring now toFIGS. 8 and 9, a wrist strap80in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The wrist strap80is similar in construction to the wrist strap12previously described, with the exception that an end portion82of the strap is lengthened so that the end portions of the strap overlap each other when closed.

Referring now toFIGS. 10 and 11, a bowstring release assembly90in accordance with yet a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The bowstring release assembly90is somewhat similar to the bowstring release assembly10previously described, with the exception that the adjustment mechanism92associated with the wrist strap94has a first anchor member96and a second anchor member98that replace the locking reel anchor member56and the second anchor member60of the previous embodiments. Each anchor member96,98preferably includes a spool portion99and a retaining portion101located above and extending radially outwardly from the spool portion. A cable100is preferably fixedly connected to one of the anchor members and is of sufficient length to be wrapped around both anchor members96and98when the wrist strap94is installed on a user's wrist. The retaining portion101ensures that the cable does not come off of the spool portion when wrapped therearound. Although the anchor members96and98are preferably stationary, they can be constructed to rotate about their central axes without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

As shown inFIG. 11, the cable100is wrapped around the spool portion99of the anchor members96and98, preferably in a figure-eight pattern, for ensuring that the cable100will not slip under high tensile loads such as when the archer is in an aiming stance with the archery bow fully drawn. An end102of the cable can be inserted into a slot104formed in the retaining portion101of one or both anchor members to ensure that the loose end does not interfere with or distract from aiming and shooting. Preferably, the slot104is sized to frictionally receive and hold the cable100.

In use, the hand of a user is first inserted through the opening73of the wrist strap94until the wrist strap is positioned over the wrist. In this position, the cable100will be loose or dangling and, depending on the size of the user's wrist, the wrist strap94may also be loose. The user then winds the cable100around the opposite anchor member and pulls on the cable to cinch the wrist strap94comfortably around the user's wrist. The cable100is then wound around both anchor members96and98, preferably in a figure-eight pattern, and the end102of the cable is inserted into one of the slots104on one of the anchor members to thereby secure the cable against slippage. Thus, the bowstring release assembly90can be installed and cinched with one hand without the difficulties associated with the prior art as described above. In order to remove the bowstring release assembly90from the wrist of a user, the above procedure is reversed.

It will be understood that the term “preferably” as used throughout the specification refers to one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention and therefore is not to be interpreted in any limiting sense. In addition, terms of orientation and/or position as may be used throughout the specification denote relative, rather than absolute orientations and/or positions.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It will be understood, therefore, that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but also covers modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.