Abstract:
Embodiments of the Expandable Arrow Nock are comprised of a nock tip, expandable fins, an internal spring, a high tensile strength wire and a pass-through module. When the arrow is fired, the fins are in the stowed position and remain in the stowed position as the arrow travels up to the point where the arrow hits the target animal. At the point where the arrow hits the target animal, the deceleration of the arrow at that instant actuates the compressed internal spring that in turn force the fins into the deployed or open position. The deployed fins prevent the nock from travelling through the body of the animal. However, the shaft portion of the arrow detaches from the nock and pass-through module.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional patent application of pending U.S. provisional patent application with Ser. No. 61/874,335 titled “Expandable Arrow Nock” filed on Sep. 5, 2013. This application claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application with Ser. No. 61/874,335. Further, the entire contents of U.S. provisional patent application with Ser. No. 61/874,335 are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0003]    1. Field of the Embodiments 
         [0004]    The general field of the embodiments of the Expandable Arrow Nock is archery. More specifically the field of the embodiments relates to detachable arrow nocks. 
         [0005]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0006]    The standard arrow nock is typically a piece of polymeric, metallic, or wooden material that forms a notch in which the bow string is engaged to the arrow. One drawback of standard arrows used in hunting is that all too commonly the arrow passes entirely through the target or game and exits out the other side of the target game animal and becomes lodged in the vegetation or terrain around the animal. When the arrow passes straight through target game animal the arrow does not do sufficient internal damage to the animal to immediately bring down the animal. Commonly, the target game animal runs from the location of the shot, cannot be located by the hunter, and is lost. This is a significant unrecoverable monetary expense to the hunter who has dedicated significant resources to purchase hunting equipment, traveled a significant distance to the hunting grounds, and secured the necessary resources for the hunt. Also, losing a wounded target game animal is a waste of natural resources and an ethical quandary for the sportsman. The embodiments of the Expandable Arrow Nock addressed the shortcomings of the prior art. 
       SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0007]    Embodiments of the Expandable Arrow Nock are comprised of a nock tip, expandable fins, an internal spring, a high tensile strength wire and a pass-through module. When the arrow is fired, the fins are in the stowed position and remain in the stowed position as the arrow travels up to the point where the arrow hits the target animal. At the point where the arrow hits the target animal, the deceleration of the arrow at that instant actuates the compressed internal spring that in turn force the fins into the deployed or open position. The deployed fins prevent the nock from travelling through the body of the animal. However, the nock portion of the arrow detaches from the shaft of the arrow that contains the pass-through module. The arrow continues to travel through the animal and potentially out the other side of the animal if the inertia of the now detached arrow is sufficient. The pass-through module and the nock are connected by a high-tensile wire or string. When the string reaches its total length, the pass-through module will be stopped and the arrow shaft will continue. In sum, the expandable fins then cause the entire configuration of nock, high-tensile wire or string, and pass-through module to remain with the animal as the arrow passes through. 
         [0008]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the embodiments of the Expandable Arrow Nock in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the embodiments that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0009]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the embodiments in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiment is not limited in this application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiment or embodiments are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be used as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the embodiments. Additional benefits and advantages of the embodiments will become apparent in those skilled in the art to which the present embodiments relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. 
         [0010]    Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the embodiments of the application which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the embodiments in any way. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1A  is a front view of an embodiment of the expandable arrow nock showing the fins in the firing or stowed position;  FIG. 1B  is a front view of the expandable arrow nock showing the fins in the deployed position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2A  is a front view of an embodiment of the expandable arrow nock shown in the firing or stowed position;  FIG. 2B  is a front view of an embodiment of the expandable arrow nock showing the fins in the deployed position with the arrow attached via the high tensile strength wire;  FIG. 2C  is a front view of the expandable arrow nock shown in the deployed configuration with the arrow attached to the expandable arrow nock via the high tensile strength wire. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a front view of an embodiment of the expandable arrow nock showing how the arrow is engaged into the arrow nock in the to-be-fired position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the expandable arrow nock showing the configuration of the internal spring and the fins and the pass-through of the high tensile strength wire to the arrow from the nock. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the expandable arrow nock showing the arrow detached from the nock and nock connected to the pass through the high tensile strength wire. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the expandable arrow nock showing the configuration of the arrow nock comprising the actuator arms, the compressed spring, and the nock fins. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of another embodiment of the expandable arrow nock showing the configuration of the arrow nock in the to-be-fired position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view of another embodiment of the expandable arrow nock showing the configuration of the arrow nock in the expanded position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    Embodiments of the Expandable Arrow Nock  100  are comprised of a nock tip  101 , expandable fins  102 , an internal spring  103 , a high tensile strength wire  201  and a pass-through module  104 . 
         [0020]    In the to-be-fired configuration the expandable fins  102  of the expandable arrow nock  100  are in the stowed or firing configuration. This allows the arrow to be placed in the firing position on the bow string and allows the arrow to be fired. The arrow is attached through the pass-through module  104  which connects the expandable arrow nock to the pass-through module arrow through the high-tensile wire. The arrow nocks are activated via closing a switch by including electronic activation. 
         [0021]    The nock tip  101  forms apertures  601  to allow sound to escape the Expandable Arrow Nock  100  when the expandable fins  102  deploy lessening the chance of alerting the target animal of the flight of the arrow. 
         [0022]    The expandable fins  102  are comprised of fins  602  connected to a pivot point  603  that allows the spring loaded fins  602  to expand. The fins  602  are triggered to expand once the arrow hits the target animal. The spring  103  is connected to the fin latch  604  which releases the fins  602  to the expanded position. As the arrow strikes the target, the target exerts a force on the arrow in the direction opposite of the travel of the arrow. As this force begins to act upon the arrow and its components, a latch holding back the spring  604  is forced out of the line of travel of the spring  103 . The expandable fins  102  are then deployed and the expandable fins  102  halt the nock at the entry side of the target. In addition, the shaft and pass-through components  104  contained therein are separated from the nock and continue through the target. As the high-tensile strength wire/string  201  reaches its total length, the pass-through is pulled from the arrow shaft. As this occurs the inertia acting upon the pass-through pulls tight the wire/string  201  connected between the nock and pass-through. This in turn closes a circuit through a switch located in the nock, or pass-through, or both and activates audible, visual, and or electronic tracking devices. 
         [0023]    The nock  101  and the pass-through module  104  are comprised of location finding devices. These location finding devices can be audible, visual, or global positioning (GPS) based devices. The nock  101  and the pass-through module  104 . 
         [0024]    In one mode of operation of the embodiments, when the user releases the bowstring, the potential energy stored in the bow acts upon the arrow, and its components. The bowstring exerts a force in the direction of the travel of the arrow. This inertial force acts upon a switch that is calibrated to close or open at an unknown g or kg force. Once this switch is actuated the following steps are made either immediately or through a given time delay: 1) An audible device used for locating through audible senses or electronic device begins sounding on the nock, the pass through, or both; 2) A visual device such as a light, laser, strobe, or facsimile of these begins lighting on the nock, the pass through, or both; 3) An electronic signal begins that is traceable through electronic means and is silent. This electronic locating signal comprises GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, low power radio frequency, or any signal that would provide the same electronic traceability. The arrow nocks are activated via closing a switch by including electronic activation. 
         [0025]    Upon impact of the head of the arrow, a force acts upon the arrow, and its components, in the direction opposite of the travel of the arrow causing the arrow to decelerate. This force causes the switch that was closed/opened in step one to do the opposite (open/close) which causes the following steps to take place: 1) A catch or stop that is used for the spring (internal in the nock), and pass through release is moved out of the way in preparation for the springs PE to be released and the stopping fins to be deployed and/or the pass through to be released; 2) The spring is released and the fins are deployed to the outward position; 3) As the arrow passes through the target, the deployed fins halt the nock at the entry side. The deceleration force on the deployed fins pulls the nock free from the arrow shaft and the arrow shaft continues through the target with the pass through portion still remaining inside the shaft, but connected through a spool of wire/string/cord to the nock. As the travel of the shaft continues through the target, the wire/string/cord begins to unspool until it reaches its full length. Upon reaching full length the pass through is pulled free of the shaft of the arrow, and the shaft continues. 
         [0026]    In another mode of operation of the embodiments, when the user releases the bowstring, the potential energy stored in the bow is transferred to the arrow, and its components, by producing a force in the direction of the travel of the arrow. Upon impact of the head of the arrow on the target, a force begins acting upon the arrow, and its components, in the direction opposite to the travel of the arrow. This inertial force acts upon a switch that is calibrated to close or open at an unknown force. Once this switch is closed/open the following steps are made either immediately or through a given time delay: 1) An audible device used for locating through audible senses or electronic device begins sounding on the nock, the pass through, or both; 2) A visual device such as a light, laser, strobe, or facsimile of these begins lighting on the nock, the pass through, or both; 3) An electronic signal begins that is traceable through electronic means and is silent. This electronic locating signal could be GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, low power radio frequency, or any signal that would provide the same electronic traceability; 4) A catch or stop that is used for the spring (internal in the nock), and pass through release is moved out of the way in preparation for the springs PE to be released and the stopping fins to be deployed and/or the pass through to be released; 5) The spring is released and the fins are deployed to the outward position; 6) As the arrow passes through the target, the deployed fins halt the nock at the entry side. This declerating force pulls the nock free from the arrow shaft and the arrow shaft continues through the target with the pass through portion still remaining inside the shaft, but connected through a spool of wire/string/cord to the nock; 7) As the travel of the shaft continues through the target, the wire/string/cord begins to unspool until it reaches its full length. Upon reaching full length the pass through is pulled free of the shaft of the arrow, and the shaft continues. Alternatively, as the pass through reaches the end of its travel, the string/wire pulls taught against the nock. As the wire pulls tight, a switch is made which activates the audible, visual, and/or electronic locating devices. 
         [0027]    In another embodiment of the Expandable Arrow Nock, the embodiments comprise user wireless activation or deactivation of the tracking devices (audible, visual, and electronic) so that after release of the arrow the audible, visual, and electronic tracking beacons can be activated or deactivated if something goes wrong or when the target is located. 
         [0028]    In another embodiment of the Expandable Arrow Nock, the embodiments may be adapted for use in crossbows. In addition, embodiments of the Expandable Arrow Nock may be used. For the crossbow application, the embodiments will operate in a similar manner. Rather the nock portion of the embodiments are a slightly different shape to accept a crossbow. 
         [0029]    In another embodiment of the Expandable Arrow Nock, the embodiments comprise extending the nock on the arrow shaft so as to allow the fins room to deploy so that they do not have to rest in the stowed position on the arrow shaft itself. See  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
         [0030]    In another embodiment of the Expandable Arrow Nock, the embodiments comprise a means to deploy the nock on the nock itself. These embodiments comprise a collar around the fins that slides down by the force of impact causing the spring loaded fins to deploy to the outward position.