Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a fall away arrow rest system for use with a compound bow having a string. The arrow rest system is adapted to support a shaft of an arrow while a tail section of the arrow engages with the string for shooting of the arrow. The arrow rest includes a housing, a rotatable shaft having a first portion mounted with and supported by the housing and a second portion extending from the housing, a launcher and a pair of arms defining a channel therebetween for accepting the arrow shaft, an activator operative to selectively urge rotation of the rotatable shaft and movement of the launcher from an upright arrow support position to a lowered position, and including a locking component moveable from an engaging position to releasably lock the position of the rotatable shaft when the launcher is at the upright arrow support position, and a disengaging position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. App. Ser. No. 60/645,362, filed Jan. 19, 2005, which document is hereby incorporated by reference to the extent permitted by law. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Arrow rests for compound bows provide a steadying surface for the shaft of an arrow as the user prepares to fire the arrow at a target. More specifically, arrow rest launchers allow the user to make aiming adjustments based on the surrounding environmental conditions (e.g., wind speed and direction) while reducing the tendency of dropping of the arrow by the user or otherwise losing selected arrow positioning necessary for good aiming and maintaining the tail of the arrow in proper contact with the string of the bow for firing thereof.  
         [0003]     One common problem with arrow rest launchers is that the fletching of the arrow, necessary for proper aerodynamic properties, may contact a launcher when firing and change the desired trajectory of the arrow. So-called “drop away” arrow rests and the like have been developed to reduce the tendency of fletching contacting the launcher when an arrow is fired. The movement of the launcher out of the way of the fletching takes place substantially after the arrow has been fired (by releasing the bow string) but before the tail region of the arrow where the fletching is located has passed the launcher. Traditional fall away rests lift the arrow into position as the bow is drawn. This eliminates the possibility of holding the arrow securely in the prelaunch position. Lifting the arrow as it is drawn also caused the arrow to “hop” off the rest when the archer reaches full draw if he has drawn the bow too quickly as is often the case when someone excitedly draws his bow on a game animal. Traditional drop away arrow rests are complicated in design and thus are prone to failure in the varied environmental conditions in which compound bows are often used. For instance, many hunters find themselves in many types of weather situations due to the fact that “big game” are located in mountainous terrain or other cold weather habitats. An arrow rest should be reliable and easy to use even in adverse weather conditions. Nevertheless, some drop away arrow rests only engage the “drop away” feature when the bow string is released at a certain rate or is “snapped back” when firing an arrow. The components necessary to effect this type of drop away feature are susceptible to failure in temperature extremes, and complicate the firing procedure for the user.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention is directed to a fall away arrow rest system for use with a compound bow having a string. The arrow rest system is adapted to support a shaft of an arrow while a tail section of the arrow engages with the string for shooting of the arrow. The arrow rest includes a housing having a cavity and being adapted for coupling with the bow, a rotatable shaft having a first portion mounted with and supported by the housing and a second portion extending from the housing, a launcher having a base affixed on the second portion of the rotatable shaft and a pair of arms extending from the base in a direction away from the rotatable shaft, the arms defining a channel therebetween for accepting the arrow shaft, an activator disposed within the housing cavity and coupled with the rotatable shaft, the activator being operative to selectively urge rotation of the rotatable shaft and movement of the launcher from an upright arrow support position to a lowered position, and including a locking component moveable from an engaging position to releasably lock the position of the rotatable shaft when the launcher is at the upright arrow support position, and a disengaging position, a cord secured to the locking component of the activator and extending to a point exterior of the housing for coupling with the string of the compound bow. Further, when the locking component is in the engaging position, pulling of the string causes movement of the cord coupled therewith to disengage the locking component, and thereafter upon releasing of the string to shoot an arrow engaging with the string and resting on the launcher, the activator moves the launcher from the upright arrow support position to a lowered position. Moreover, when the locking component is in the disengaging position and the launcher is not in the upright arrow support position, pulling of the string with a force sufficient to overcome the rotational urging of the activator causes movement of the cord coupled therewith and movement of the launcher towards the upright arrow support position. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates a fall away arrow rest in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention in use with a compound bow;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the fall away arrow rest with the launcher in the upright arrow support position;  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of the fall away arrow rest with the launcher in the lowered position;  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  is a right side elevational view of the fall away arrow rest;  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  is a partial top plan view of the fall away arrow rest showing particular details of the housing;  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the fall away arrow rest having a launcher with raised lateral portions to aid in arrow retainment and showing the containment arm;  
         [0011]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are perspective views of the embodiment of the fall away arrow rest shown in  FIG. 6 , with  FIG. 7A  showing the launcher in the upright arrow support position and  FIG. 7B  showing the launcher in the lowered position;  
         [0012]      FIG. 8  is a close up right side elevational view of the support component of the housing showing the activator in a first position where the locking component is engaged and the launcher is in the upright arrow support position;  
         [0013]      FIG. 9  is another close up right side elevational view of the support component of the housing showing the locking component disengaged; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 10  is another close up right side elevational view of the support component of the housing showing the locking component in the second position where the locking component is disengaged and the launcher is in the lowered position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     With specific reference to the figures, and initially  FIG. 1 , there is shown a fall away arrow rest  10  for use with a compound bow  200  having a string  202  for shooting an arrow  300 .  FIG. 2  presents are more detailed illustration of the fall away arrow rest  10 , which generally includes a housing  12  for attachment with compound bow  200 , a shaft  14  rotatably mounted with housing  12  and extending laterally therefrom, a launcher  16  affixed to shaft  14  for rotation therewith, an activator  18  (best seen in  FIGS. 4 and 8 - 10 ) disposed within housing  12  and inducing rotation of shaft  14  to cause launcher  16  movement upon releasing of bow string  202  or when the user reduces the pulling force applied to bow string  202 , and a cord  20  connected with activator  18  and with bow string  202  to control unlocking of the activator when launcher  16  is at an upright arrow support position based on the bow string activity. The arrow rest  10  is used by placing a shaft  302  of an arrow  300  on launcher  16  and engaging a tail section  304  of arrow  300  with bow string  202  so that bow  200  fires or shoots arrow  300  in a longitudinal direction forwardly of launcher  16 .  FIG. 1  shows bow  200  being in a vertical orientation where arrow  300  aligned in the longitudinal direction on launcher  16  would be fired horizontally. Arrow  300  may obviously be fired from any number of orientations depending on the desired flight path. Activator  18  is configured to move launcher  16  from an upright arrow support position shown in  FIG. 2  and commonly used when firing arrow  300  to a lowered position shown in  FIG. 3  where launcher  16  is rotated downwardly out of the way of arrow  300  that has been fired.  
         [0016]     Housing  12 , best seen in  FIGS. 2-5 , has a mounting component  22  with a horizontally-oriented threaded aperture  24  for accepting a fastener (not shown) to secure housing  12  with a frame  204  of compound bow  200 . An intermediate component  28  and a support component  30  also make up housing  12 . The mounting component  22  has a dovetail  32  that slides within a vertically-oriented slot  34  of intermediate component  28 . A containment arm  36 , seen in  FIGS. 6-7B , is secured onto an upper surface  38  of intermediate component  28 . The containment arm  36  has a first lateral portion  40  pivotably mounted with upper surface  38 , an upward bend  42  and a second lateral portion  44  extending from the bend  42 . The containment arm  36  is configured for rotation generally about a vertical axis between a nonuse position where arm  36  overlies mounting component  22  and a working position generally 90 degrees from the first position where arm  36  directly overlies launcher  16  or overlies at a position immediately forwardly or rearwardly from launcher  16 . The function of containment arm  36  is to prevent the user from accidentally jarring arrow  300  off of launcher  16  when moving bow  200 . The containment arm  36  typically is placed in the nonuse position when loading arrow  300  onto launcher  16  and moved to the working position overlying arrow  300  when arrow containment is desired. In situations where arrows are repeatedly and quickly loaded onto launcher for rapid firing, or when the user is not concerned about arrow containment, (e.g., at a practice range where the user is stationary) the user may desire to keep containment arm  36  at the nonuse position.  
         [0017]     Rotatable shaft  14 , to which launcher  16  is affixed, extends from support component  30  of housing  12 . Because mounting component  22  is rigidly secured with bow frame  204 , the sliding connection between dovetail  32  of mounting component  22  and vertically-oriented slot  34  of intermediate component  28  controls the vertical positioning of the remainder of arrow rest  10 , including launcher  16 , with respect to bow  200 . Vertical positioning of launcher  16  may be necessary to adjust for proper arrow tuning. A forward portion  46  of intermediate component  28  is bifurcated along a vertical plane into a pair of arms  48  which together form slot  34 . A horizontally-oriented threaded aperture  50  extends through arms  48  and accepts a fastener  52 . Tightening of fastener  52  within threaded aperture  50  causes arms  48  to move laterally toward one another and the width of slot  34  to constrict to fixedly position dovetail  32  at a selected height within slot  34  for desired vertical positioning relative to bow  200 . A set of spaced marks  54  may be provided on intermediate component  28 , as seen in  FIG. 4 , so that vertical positioning relative to mounting component  22  rigidly secured to bow  200  can be determined.  
         [0018]     Intermediate component  28  slides laterally or horizontally on an upper surface  56  of support component  30 . A slot  58  elongated in the lateral direction extends vertically through a rearward portion  60  of intermediate component  28  and is configured for accepting a fastener  62  therein. A vertically-oriented threaded aperture (not shown) is formed in upper surface  56  of support component  30  beneath slot  58  for receiving a portion of fastener  62  extending beneath slot  58 . Tightening of fastener  62  extending through slot  58  into the threaded aperture in support component  30  causes a head of fastener  62  to abut and push downwardly on upper surface  56  of intermediate component  28  to compress intermediate component  28  against support component upper surface  56  and cause frictional engagement to inhibit sliding movement of intermediate component  28  relative to support component  30 . This action fixes the lateral position of support component  30  relative to intermediate component  28  which, through mounting component  22 , always maintains the same lateral position with respect to bow  200 . Therefore, the lateral position of launcher  16  with respect to bow  200  may be selected, for instance, to ensure that fletching  306  formed near tail section  304  of arrow  300  does not contact intermediate component  28 , mounting component  22 , or a portion of bow  200 , or to select the extent of overhang of containment arm  36  over arrow  300  resting on launcher  16  when containment arm  36  is in the working position. Loosening of fastener  62  to the extent necessary to alleviate the compression force applied to intermediate component  28  allows component  28  to slide laterally along support component upper surface  56  to change the horizontal position of support component  30  relative to intermediate component  28  and bow  200 . A set of spaced marks  66  may be provided on intermediate component  28  so that lateral positioning of support component  30  relative to intermediate component  28  can be determined.  
         [0019]     Shaft  14  has a first portion  68  rotatably mounted within housing  12  and extends transversely out of housing  12  in a cantilevered fashion to a second portion  70  where launcher  16  is mounted. Launcher  16  has a base  72  which is rigidly attached to rotatable shaft second portion  70  and a pair of arms  74  extending from base  72  in a direction away from shaft  14  to terminal ends  75  thereof. Arms  74  define a channel  76  therebetween and converge at base  72  to form a notch  78  where arrow  300  may rest.  
         [0020]     The activator  18  and actions provided by movement of cord  20  will now be described with continuing reference to the aforementioned figures, and with particular reference to  FIGS. 8-10 . A cavity  86  is formed in support component  30  of housing  12  into which first portion  68  of shaft  14  extends and within which activator  18  is housed. Activator  18  includes a body  88  rigidly affixed onto shaft first portion  68 , a torsional biasing element  90 , such as a torsion spring, affixed to both support component  30  and shaft first portion  68  to urge rotation of shaft  14  relative to housing  12 , and a locking component  92  to regulate rotation of shaft  14  provided by activator  18 . Locking component  92  includes a stop  94  movable linearly within a slot (not shown) of body  88  and a stop biasing element (not shown), such as a compression spring, for urging a portion of stop  94  out of body  88 . The portion of stop  94  that extends out of body  88  provides the locking feature for activator  18  by abutting a contact surface  96  of a notch  98  formed in housing cavity  86 , as seen in  FIG. 8 . Through the rotational urging of shaft  14  (and therefore body  88  of activator  18  affixed thereto) provided by biasing element  90 , stop  94  is engaged with notch  98  and only becomes disengaged through retraction of stop  94  out of notch  98  at least substantially fully into body  88 , as seen in  FIG. 9 . Retraction of stop  94 , by a force applied to stop  94  that is directly radially inwardly towards shaft  14 , must be sufficient to overcome frictional engagement between stop  94  and contact surface  96  and force of stop biasing element in body  88 . This retraction force is provided by attaching cord  20  to stop  94  and having cord extend through cavity  86  through a passageway  100  out of housing  12  for coupling with bow string  202  via a clip  206 . Passageway  100  may be positioning a sufficient lateral distance from launcher so that cord  20  does not interfere with the movement of arrow  300  fired from launcher  16 . The exit point of passageway  100  out of housing  12  directs the pulling force applied to cord  20  by drawn bow string  202  to be a force vector having a component directed radially inwardly towards shaft  14 , thereby retracting stop  94  into body  88  towards shaft  14 . Disengaging of locking component  92  (shown in  FIG. 8 ) enables, upon releasing of the tension or pulling force applied to cord  20 , torsional biasing element  90  to cause rotation of shaft  14  and body  88  affixed thereto. Body  88  rotates through cavity  86  from a first position shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9  towards a second position shown in  FIG. 10  under the influence of torsional biasing element  90 . Cavity  86  has an arcuate sliding surface  102  which stop  94  freely slides against once stop  94  clears notch  98  and body  88  begins rotation towards the second position. Rotation of body  88  and shaft  14  to the second position is complete when body  88  reaches rotation limiting wall  104  of cavity  86 . A rubber damper  106  or similar object may be placed on rotation limiting wall  104  to reduce contact noise and cushion body  88  when reaching wall  104 . When activator body  88  is in the first position, shaft  14  positions launcher  16  at the upright arrow support position, and when activator body  88  is in the second position, shaft positions launcher  16  at the lowered position.  
         [0021]     In one method of use, a user first grasps launcher  16  and rotates it upwardly from the lowered position (shown in  FIGS. 3, 4  and  7 B) to the upright arrow support position (shown in  FIGS. 2, 6  and  7 A). If containment arm  36  has been rotated away from the working position so that it does not overlap launcher  16 , then an arrow  300  can be loaded onto launcher  16  in the upright arrow support position to prepare for arrow firing. Then, containment arm  36  may be swung to the working position to overlap arrow  300  positioned on launcher  16 . On the other hand, if containment arm  36  is already the working position, then arrow  300  may be loaded onto launcher  16  in the lowered position prior to rotating launcher  16  to the upright arrow support position. As shown in  FIG. 7B , raised lateral portions  80  and  82  of arms  74  and base  72 , respectively, aid in maintaining arrow  300  on launcher  16  when arrow loading commences in the lowered position for the launcher  16 . In either case, once the arrow is loaded on the launcher  16 , containment arm  36  is in the working position, and launcher  16  is in the upright arrow support position, a vertical gap formed between terminal ends  75  of launcher arms  74  and containment arm  36  is preferably less than the diameter of a standard arrow  300 , so that the arrow may not slip over the launcher arms  74  and fall off of the launcher  16 .  
         [0022]     Corresponding to launcher  16  being in the upright arrow support position, activator  18  is in the first position shown in  FIG. 8  where body  88  has been rotated away from rotation limiting wall  104  and stop  94  has engaged with housing cavity notch  98 . The user will then engage tail section  304  of arrow  300  with bow string  202  to prepare for arrow firing. As the user draws the bow string  202 , to which cord  20  is attached through clip  206 , stop  94  is retracted into body  88  as shown in  FIG. 9 . Drawing of bow string  202  must be of a sufficient magnitude for stop  94  to retract far enough to clear notch  98 , and the magnitude may be selected by the user according to the location where cord  20  is clipped to bow string  202 . Releasing of drawn bow string  202  releases the tension on cord  20 , allowing torsional biasing element  90  to move body  88  towards rotation limiting wall  104  to the second position shown in  FIG. 10 . As a result of this motion, shaft  14  and launcher  16  are rotated to the lowered position. Because releasing of bow string  202  will immediately propel arrow  300  forwardly, the fact that launcher  16  begins to rotate downwardly does not significantly affect the flight path or trajectory of fired arrow  300 . Launcher  16  provides the support and positioning of arrow  300  right up to the time of release of bow string  202 . Launcher  16  rotates downwardly upon firing at a sufficiently fast rate as to allow arrow fletching  306  to clear launcher as arrow  300  is moving forwardly and traveling to the intended target. Containment arm  36  is configured so that arrow fletching will not contact arm  36  when traveling therebeneath upon arrow firing.  
         [0023]     In another method of use, arrow  300  is first loaded onto launcher  16  in the lowered position. Tail section  304  of arrow  300  is also engaged with bow string  202  to prepare for firing. Drawing the bow string  202  causes cord  20  to pull on stop  84  with a force vector having a component directed radially inwardly towards shaft  14  and a component directly rearward, thereby rotating body  88  from the activator second position shown in  FIG. 10  towards the position shown in  FIG. 9  where stop  84  is aligned with notch  98  but remains retracted in housing  88  due to the tension on cord  20 . Thus, bow string  202  drawing moves launcher from the lowered position to the upright arrow support position. The raised lateral portions  80  and  82  of arms  74  and base  72 , respectively, aid in maintaining arrow  300  on launcher  16  as launcher is rotating upward to the upright arrow support position. Releasing of bow string  202  to fire arrow causes corresponding release of the tension on cord  20 , enabling torsional biasing element  90  to move body  88  towards the second position shown in  FIG. 10 , thereby rotating shaft  14  and launcher  16  to the lowered position. With this method, stop  84  doesn&#39;t engage with notch  98  (unless the user holds launcher  16  once in the upright arrow support position and lets down bow string  202 ), but activator body  88  may rotate through a desired range of rotation within housing cavity  86  depending on the magnitude of motion of bow string  202  to which cord  20  is attached. In other words, activator body  88  may rotate fully from the second position shown in  FIG. 10  to the position shown in  FIG. 9  (corresponding with the first position but with stop  84  retracted into body  88 ), and then back to the second position.  
         [0024]     Therefore, it can be seen that the fall away arrow rest  10  provides the archer with various customized features in an arrow rest for a compound bow while avoiding undesirable arrow fletching contact. Furthermore, since certain changes may be made in the above invention without departing from the scope hereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the following claims are to cover certain generic and specific features described herein.