Abstract:
The present invention relates to a bowfishing method, bowfishing system and laser bowfishing sight for targeting and illuminating an underwater target. The position of the target is compensated for the refraction of light in the practice of the method and sighting in of the system of the present invention. The laser bowfishing sight includes a rotational adjustment for compensating for the refraction of light.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to bowfishing, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for bowfishing using a laser sight. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The sport of bowfishing has been very popular for many years and most recently the interest in this exciting sport has skyrocketed. In bowfishing, an archer is able to practice hunting skills at any time of the year, and at the same time is able to enjoy the sport of fishing. 
         [0003]    As is known to those skilled in the art, fishing with an archery bow involves the use of a bow, arrow and retrieval system. The archer, upon visually locating an underwater or sub-surface target, launches an arrow at the sub-surface target. The arrow is tethered by a line leading from the arrow to a reel or other line dispensing device. Upon launching the arrow, the line permits the arrow to be retrieved, hopefully with a speared fish thereupon. 
         [0004]    The bowfisherman visually targets or designates the fish. Most often, the bowfisherman targets the fish unassisted, or in other words by sighting the fish by the shaft of the arrow or by an instinctive shooting technique. The bowfisherman may also use an assist or sight, such as a pin sight. In either technique, the bowfisherman needs to compensate for the diffraction of light entering the water, and estimate the correct aim point of the arrow. Frequently, the bowfisherman may over or under estimate the position of the sub-surface target and miss the target. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for a bowfishing target designation method and apparatus that improves accuracy at an affordable price. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An objective of the present invention is to provide method and apparatus for bowfishing including using a laser sight to designate a sub-surface target. 
         [0007]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of targeting an arrow on an underwater target with a laser sight is disclosed. The method includes illuminating a target located below a water surface with a laser, and launching an arrow from a bow at the target. 
         [0008]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a bowfishing system is disclosed that includes a bow, and a laser sight attached to the bow. The laser sight includes a laser, a switch for activating the laser, and an attachment device for releasably attaching the laser bowfishing sight to the bow. The attachment device includes a base portion and an adjustment portion attached at an attachment point. The attachment device is configured to adjust the linear distance of the laser from the attachment points. The attachment device is configured to rotate the projected laser beam about the attachment point through a vertical plane. 
         [0009]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a laser sight is disclosed that includes a laser, a switch for activating the laser to project a laser beam, and an attachment device for releasably attaching the laser to a bow. The attachment device includes a base portion and an adjustment portion attached at an attachment point to the base portion for releasably attaching the laser bowfishing sight to a bow. The attachment device is configured to adjust the linear distance of the laser from the attachment points. The attachment device is configured to rotate the projected laser beam about the attachment point through a vertical plane. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Referring now to the figures, which are exemplary embodiments, and wherein the like elements are numbered alike. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary bowfishing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary application of the bowfishing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary trajectory of the bowfishing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Specific embodiments of systems and processes for bowfishing use a laser sight according to the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary bowfishing system  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the bowfishing system  100  includes a bow  110 , an arrow  120 , an arrow retrieval system  130 , and a laser sight  140  removably fastened to the bow  110 . The bow  110  includes a body or riser  112 , a pair of limbs  114  attached to the riser  112 , and a bowstring  115 . In another embodiment, the riser  112  and limbs  114  may be a unitary construction. In another embodiment, the bow  110  may be formed of one or more components. The yet another embodiment, the bow may be a compound bow, recurve bow, longbow or crossbow. The bow  110  includes a top end  116  and a bottom end  117  proximate to a first end  118  and a second end  118 , respectively, of bowstring  115 . The arrow  120  has a length axis A. 
         [0016]    The arrow retrieval system  130  includes a spool  131 , housing  132  and a line  133 . The line  133  is stored in the housing  132 , attached to the arrow  120  and is retrievable by the spool  131 . In another embodiment, the arrow retrieval system  130  may include a line  133  attached to the arrow  120 , and the line may or may not be terminated to the bow  110 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of the laser sight  140 . The laser sight  140  includes a laser  142 , a switch  144  and an attachment device  146 . The laser  142  is a 5 millliwatt (mW) green laser having a power output of about 5 milliwatt (mW). In another embodiment, the laser  142  may be a red, blue or green laser, and may have a power output of between about 1 to about 30 millliwatt (mW). The laser  142  includes an internal power supply (not shown). In another embodiment, the power supply may be external to the laser  142 . The laser  142  produces a direced beam of visual light that illuminates or projects a point of light upon a surface, such as a target. The laser  142  projects the beam of light along axis B. 
         [0018]    The switch  144  controls power supplied to the laser  142 . The switch  144  may be attached to the bow  110 . The switch  144  may be attached to the bow by, but not limited to, an adhesive, an adhesive pressure tape or a fastener. The switch  144  may be a pressure switch. In yet another embodiment, the switch  144  may be incorporated into the laser  142 . 
         [0019]    The attachment device  146  provides support for the laser  142  and attachment of the laser  142  to the bow  110 . The attachment device  146  includes a base portion  148  and an adjustment portion  150 . The base portion  148  includes one or more attachment points  152  for receiving fasteners  154  ( FIG. 1 ) for removably fastening the attachment device  146  to the bow  110 . The base portion  148  further includes a opening  162  having a diameter. The opening  162  is open to a slot  162   a.  The diameter of the opening  162  may be adjusted by tightening or loosening a fastener  163  that narrows or widens the slot  162   a.    
         [0020]    The adjustment portion  150  includes an attachment portion  156  and an extension portion  158 . The attachment portion  156  is configured to secure the laser  110  to the attachment device  146 . In this exemplary embodiment, the attachment portion  158  releasably clamps around the laser  110  to attach the laser  142  to the attachment device  146 . In another embodiment, the attachment portion  156  is integral to the laser  110 . In another embodiment, the attachment portion  156  attaches the laser  110  to the adjustment portion with fasteners, straps, ties, wire, hook and loop straps or tape, or other fastening device. 
         [0021]    The extension portion  158  adjustably attaches the laser  110  to the base portion  148 . The extension portion  158  includes a shaft  160  that is received through opening  162  in the base portion  148 . As discussed above, the base portion  148  includes a fastener  163  for tightening the opening  162  around the shaft  160  to releasably attach the laser  110  in a secure position in the X, Y and Z axis. The opening  162  may be loosened from around the shaft  160  by adjusting the fastener  162  to reposition the laser  110  in one or more of the X, Y and Z axis. In another embodiment, the opening  162  is frictionally fitted to the shaft  160  so that the shaft  160  may be rotated in the Z-X plane around an attachment point axis “C” and/or extended and/or retracted in the Y direction. The shaft  160  is rotationally coupled in the X-Z plane so as to pivot or rotate about the attachment point axis “C”, which is the same as the axis of the shaft  160 , and axially coupled in the Y direction. By extending and/or retracting the shaft  160 , the linear distance separating the laser  110  from the attachment points  152 , and the bow  120  when attached, may be adjusted. In another embodiment, the extension portion  158  is integral to the attachment portion  156 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary bowfishing scenario according to an embodiment of the invention. As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , a bowfisherman  300  acquires, locates or otherwise identifies a target  310  located below the water surface  320  of body of water  330 . In this exemplary scenario, the target  310  is a fish. In another embodiment, the target  310  may be any sub-surface target, including, but not limited to both natural and man-made inanimate objects such as structures and trees, fish and animals. Additionally, the bowfisherman  300  is located on land  340 , however, in other embodiments, the bowfisherman  300  may be located on a dock, pier, boat, tree-stand or other similar fixed or mobile location. 
         [0023]    The apparent position  310 A and actual position  310 B of the fish  310  differ or are offset because the direction of light propagation has been changed as the light passes from the more dense water into the less dense air. As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the path of light “L” is not linear to the bowfisherman  300 . Thus, the trajectory “T” of the arrow  120  must be adjusted by an offset angle “a” to compensate for the refraction of light. As can be further seen in  FIG. 3 , the actual position  310 A is deeper and horizontally closer to the bowfisherman  300  than the apparent position  310 A. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the laser sight  140  is adjusted so that the projection of the laser beam along axis B is coplanar with a vertical X-Z plane passing through the bowstring  115  and arrow  120 . By rotating the shaft  160  of the laser sight  140 , the projected beam may be adjusted to intersect a trajectory “T” of the arrow  120  at the actual target  310 B at a selected linear distance D 1 . In order to compensate for the refraction of light at the water surface  320 , the projected beam is adjusted to intersect the trajectory of the arrow  120  at the position of the actual target  310 B at the distance D 1  and at a depth D 2  below the water surface  320 . This adjustment may be referred to as “sighting in” or “tuning”. In such a manner, a bowfisherman  300  may improve the accuracy of placing an arrow  120  on a target  310 . Without this sighting in process, a bowfisherman  300  is likely to shoot over the target  310  by aiming the arrow at the apparent position  310 A. 
         [0025]    While the invention has been described with reference to various exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.