Abstract:
A compact lightweight atomizing scent dispenser which may be used to actively disperse liquid scent into the atmosphere as atomized droplets for the purpose of attracting game and masking the scent of a hunter, the scent dispenser including means to change the scent being dispensed without exposing the hunter to contact with the scent, the scent dispenser further being specifically adapted for mounting on an archery bow to function additionally as a bow stabilizer and a vibration and shock damper, the scent dispenser yet further incorporating a gravitationally based means to maintain an attached liquid scent bottle in an upright position to prevent spillage of the liquid scent and to provide vertical stabilization of the archery bow regardless of the orientation in which the bow is held with respect to the ground.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to devices for dispensing a scent for use when hunting animals. More specifically, the present invention relates to a scent dispensing device mounted to an archery bow, additionally acting as a stabilizer to resist the torque and dampen the vibration and shock imparted to the bow when an arrow is released. The present invention may also serve as a wind direction detector upon release of the atomized fluid.  
           [0002]    The use of scents by hunters to increase their chances of hunting success is well known. Various scents have been used to attract game and to mask the scent of the hunter so that the hunted animal is not alerted to the presence of the hunter and is instead drawn towards the hunter. The particular choice of scent, of course, depends upon the type of animal being hunted and may include, among others, musk, deer urine, raccoon urine, fox urine, acorn scent, pine scent, and skunk scent.  
           [0003]    Prior forms of scent dispensers comprise a pad, sponge, wick, or like element that is treated or saturated with a liquid scent, and rely passively on evaporation and diffusion to disperse the scent into the air. This saturated pad type of scent dispenser is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,019 [Fisher] and U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,668 [Burgeson]. A disadvantage of this type of scent dispenser is that the rate of scent dispersal cannot be controlled when the device is in use. Some devices include the ability to retract the saturated pad into a sealed container to prevent the evaporation and dispersion of the scent, or to cover the openings in the container through which the scent is dispersed. However, none of the prior art devices enables the scent to be dispersed more rapidly than is provided for by the natural evaporation of the liquid scent and diffusion of the vaporized scent, based on the environmental conditions, i.e., current outdoor temperature, wind, and humidity conditions.  
           [0004]    Another disadvantage of the saturated pad type of scent dispenser is that the scent may not be readily changed in the field. Since a used saturated pad will retain some residual scent, changing scents requires the changing of saturated pads, which exposes the hunter to the risk of coming into contact with the liquid scent, so that the hunter&#39;s skin and clothing may become contaminated with an undesirable scent. Additionally, retention of residual scent means that used saturated pads must be either disposed of, which can be wasteful, or used for the same scent, which may require the hunter to keep a set of saturated pads with one for each different scent used. Yet another disadvantage of this type of scent dispenser is that the scent dispenser is often a separate device that the hunter must transport into a remote hunting location, along with all of the other hunting equipment and paraphernalia that a hunter may already need to transport.  
           [0005]    Various prior devices include scent dispensers in combination with other functions, in order to limit the number of separate devices a hunter must transport. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,496 [Stinson] teaches a saturated pad type scent dispenser incorporated into an archery bow mounted arrow quiver, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,612 [Finlay] teaches a saturated pad type scent dispenser incorporated into an archery bow stabilizer. In each of these patents, scent dispensing is a secondary function of the device and the simple saturated pad method suffers from the same disadvantages as the dedicated saturated pad scent dispensers discussed previously. More specifically, the disadvantages lie in the reliance on evaporation and diffusion to disperse the scent and the lack of ease of changing scents without exposing the hunter to contact with the scent.  
           [0006]    Variations on the saturated pad type of scent dispenser are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,626 [Forbes, et al.], which patent discloses a scent impregnated plastic material, and U.S. Design Pat. No. 324,730 [Salter, et al.], which shows an electrically stimulated scent impregnated material. While these devices overcome some of the difficulties in changing scents, they still passively rely on diffusion to disperse the scent and cannot control the rate at which the scent is emitted.  
           [0007]    It should be noted that not one of the earlier devices actively disburses an atomized spray of scent into the air. In addition, none of the earlier devices provides for quick and simple changing of the scent being dispensed. In addition, many of the earlier devices are not compact and lightweight for transporting by a hunter to a remote hunting location, and are not adapted to be mounted to an archery bow or other hunting environment venue.  
           [0008]    The use of stabilizers in connection with archery bows is known in the art. When an arrow is launched from a bow, the arrow is subjected to a sudden propulsive force, and consequently the bow is subjected to a sudden and equal reactive force transmitted through the bow string. Often, this propulsive force is accompanied by a vertical or lateral torque that may cause the arrow to deviate from its desired flight path. A stabilizer attached to the bow and extending forwardly therefrom will resist the torque which is imparted to the bow when an arrow is launched, and will therefore assist the hunter in keeping the arrow on its desired flight path. The stabilizer may also absorb the shock and vibration occurring when the arrow is launched from the bow.  
           [0009]    An example of such stabilizers is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,612 [Finlay], previously cited, which patent discloses an archery bow mounted stabilizer containing a saturated pad type scent dispenser. Disadvantages of this stabilizer design include that it is not easily removable from the bow in the field without tools and that it relies upon a flexible coupling to provide damping of the shock and vibration occurring when an arrow is launched.  
           [0010]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a scent dispenser for hunting capable of disbursing scent into the air at the will of the hunter at a rate that is not dependant only upon evaporation and diffusion of a liquid scent. Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a scent dispenser that enables the hunter to refrain from disbursing scent into the air when so desired. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scent dispenser which is changeable to enable a hunter to disperse multiple scents without being exposed to contamination by the scent and without having to dispose of any previously used parts of the scent dispenser.  
           [0011]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a scent dispenser for mounting on an archery bow which serves as a stabilizer to resist the torque and to dampen the shock and vibration imparted to the bow upon launching of an arrow, regardless of the angle at which the bow is held by the hunter. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a scent dispenser for mounting as a stabilizer on an archery bow that is compact and lightweight for ease of transporting by a hunter to a remote hunting location.  
           [0012]    Other objects will appear hereinafter.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    The present invention overcomes the disadvantages inherent in the types of hunting scent dispensers which have been previously known and used. Additionally, the present invention functions as an archery bow stabilizer, resulting in a combination of features not found in the prior art. The present invention provides an atomizing scent dispenser capable of being mounted on an archery bow or another mounting surface. The present invention is comprised of both a scent dispensing portion and a mounting portion.  
           [0014]    The scent dispensing portion operates in a similar manner to a perfume atomizer. A squeeze bulb mounted to the dispenser body of the dispensing portion may be squeezed by the hunter to direct a pressurized air stream through the dispensing portion towards an atomizer body. The atomizer body serves as an aspirator, drawing liquid scent from an attached scent bottle assembly to mix into the pressurized air stream, with the combined stream of air and liquid scent being forced through an atomizer at the tip of the atomizer body and out into the atmosphere as atomized droplets. The atomizer body is rigidly supported by a cylindrical insert, which is rotatably mounted in a cylindrical cavity in the dispenser body, allowing the atomizer body and the scent bottle assembly to swivel about the dispenser body under the force of gravity so that the liquid filled bottle remains in an upright vertical position. An annular groove and a plurality of internal passages in the cylindrical insert provide a continuous flow path from the squeeze bulb through the dispenser body and through the cylindrical insert to the atomizer body. The cylindrical insert is retained in the cylindrical cavity of the dispenser body by a retaining screw which is threaded to the dispenser body and fits closely into the annular groove in the cylindrical insert. A keyed fixture on the proximal end of the dispenser body enables the dispensing portion to be supported by and secured to the mounting portion.  
           [0015]    The mounting portion provides an easily detachable connection between the scent dispensing portion and a mounting surface. The mounting surface may be the handle of an archery bow, the forward extension of a mounted stabilizer, or alternatively, the mounting surface may a rigid member of a hunting stand or another solid object in the vicinity of the hunter. A mounting base is fastened to the bow or the mounting surface, and a mounting lug containing a keyed slot is secured to the mounting base. The keyed slot on the mounting lug receives the keyed fixture on the dispenser body of the scent dispensing portion and secures the keyed fixture in place using a retaining means which, when actuated, seats in a detent in the keyed fixture. The retaining means may be a spring plunger, a thumb screw, or an equivalent means known in the art. The dispensing portion may be readily removed to be exchanged for another essentially identical dispensing portion containing a different liquid scent simply by retracting the retaining means and sliding the keyed fixture of the dispensing portion out from the keyed slot of the mounting portion.  
           [0016]    In operation, the present invention is designed particularly to disperse a desired amount of a selected scent at the will of a hunter. The hunter can control the amount of scent dispersed by controlling both the amount of air expelled from the squeeze bulb and the force and speed with which the squeeze bulb is actuated. If the squeeze bulb is not actuated, no scent is dispersed as the tiny physical size of the atomizer orifice is too small to allow for any noticeable evaporation of the liquid scent. If the hunter desires to utilize a different scent without changing the dispensing portion of the present invention, the liquid scent filled bottle may be easily replaced with a bottle containing the different liquid scent and the previous scent quickly flushed out of the scent dispenser with a few actuations of the squeeze bulb. If the hunter desires to utilize a different scent without the possibility of being exposed to the liquid scent, the entire dispensing portion can be exchange as previously described.  
           [0017]    The present invention is further designed to provide a stabilizer for an archery bow which is additionally capable of damping vibration and shock in the archery bow upon the launching of an arrow therefrom. When mounted to an archery bow, the present invention extends forwardly therefrom, and is capable of providing stabilization of an archery bow held at any orientation with respect to the ground, as the design of the cylindrical insert allows the atomizer body and the scent bottle assembly to rotate under the force of gravity to maintain the liquid filled scent bottle in an upright vertical orientation and to maintain the force of the stabilizer in the downward direction. Also, any motion of the archery bow in response to the launching of an arrow causes a natural damping motion of the scent dispenser that serves to minimize vibration and shock in the archery bow. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the bow stabilizing scent dispenser of the present invention mounted to an archery bow.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of the dispensing portion of the bow stabilizing scent dispenser of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the bow stabilizing scent dispenser of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is an end view of the bow stabilizing scent dispenser of the present invention showing the movement capabilities of various components of the invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the components of the bow stabilizing scent dispenser of the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, but with a smaller diameter scent reservoir and showing the directional flow of air and atomized liquid scent through the bow stabilizing scent disperser of the present invention when operated.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. The description is not intended in a limiting sense, and is made solely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. The various features and advantages of the present invention may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0026]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, where like numerals refer to like parts or elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 a side elevation view of a bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  of the present invention mounted on a compound archery bow  100 . The compound archery bow  100  comprises a grip  102  and a lower handle  104 . Although the bow  100  illustrated in FIG. 1 is a compound bow, the invention is not limited to combination with only a compound bow. The bow  100  may be of other types, e.g. long and recurved, which are known in the art. The bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  is rigidly mounted to the lower handle  104  of the archery bow  100 , out of the line of sight of the hunter and away from the release path of an arrow, and extending forwardly in the direction away from the hunter. Alternatively, the bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  may be mounted to the front of a stabilizer attached to the bow frame at or about the same location.  
         [0027]    The interrelationship of the parts of the apparatus  10  is best described with reference to the partial sectional view of FIG. 3 and the exploded view of FIG. 5. The bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  comprises a mounting portion  34  having a mounting base  14  and a quick change mounting lug  20  secured to the mounting base  14 , and a dispensing portion  12  having a dispenser body  40  connected to the mounting lug  20 , a cylindrical swivel insert  60  retained inside the dispenser body  40 , and an atomizer body  70  rigidly coupled to the swivel insert  60 .  
         [0028]    At the proximal end of the bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10 , the mounting base  14  is fastened to the bow  100  by two mounting screws  16   a,    16   b,  although a plurality of screws, rivets, or other equivalent fastening means may be employed. The mounting base  14  includes a blind-tapped hole  18  in the distal end thereof adapted to receive the threads of a bolt  28 .  
         [0029]    The mounting lug  20  is adapted with a countersunk bore  22  to receive the head of the bolt  28  and includes a hole  24  in the proximal end therethrough for the shaft of the bolt  28  to pass. The bolt  28  is a hex-head bolt with a screwdriver slot machined into the head, although a socket head cap screw may function equivalently, so that the bolt  28  may be accessed for tightening or loosening from the opening in the distal end of the mounting lug  20 . The bolt  28  rigidly secures the mounting lug  20  to the mounting base  14 . Alternatively, the mounting lug  20  may be mounted to any mounting base comprising a tapped hole adapted for the bolt  28 , enabling the bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  without the mounting base  14  to be used apart from the archery bow  100 . In addition, the mounting lug  20  provides for easy removal of the dispensing portion  12 , shown in FIG. 2, from mounting portion  34 , enabling the archery bow to be transported or used with the mounting portion  34  attached thereto but with the dispensing portion  12  removed therefrom.  
         [0030]    The mounting lug  20  further includes at its distal end a keyed slot  32  adapted for mating with a matching keyed fixture  42  located at the proximal end of the dispenser body  40 . Although the specific keyed shape illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and  5  is of a triangular shape, alternate keyed shapes, including but not limited to a keyhole, a T-slot, an L-slot, and a dovetail slot, may be used. A tapped hole  26  on the lower side of the mounting lug  20  extends therethrough between the outside of the mounting lug  20  and the internal space of the keyed slot  32  thereof. The keyed fixture  42  of the dispenser body  40  slides into the keyed slot  32  of the mounting lug  20  and is secured in place by a retaining means  30  which is threaded into the tapped hole  26  in the mounting lug  20  and is actuated into a detent  44  in the lower side of the keyed fixture  42  of the dispenser body  40 . The retaining means  30  may optionally be a spring plunger, a thumb screw, or other equivalent means which is easily actuated and retracted by the hunter.  
         [0031]    The dispenser body  40  includes, at the distal end thereof, a cylindrical cavity  46  adapted for receiving the cylindrical swivel insert  60 . A tapped hole  48  in the lower side of the dispenser body  40  extends between the outside of the dispenser body  40  and the cylindrical cavity  46 . A tapped hole  50  in the upper side of the dispenser body  40  extends between the outside of the dispenser body  40  and the cylindrical cavity  46 . A bulb adapter  54 , comprising a barbed end, an internally threaded end, and a small diameter internal passage connecting the ends therethrough, is coupled to the upper side of the dispenser body  40  by a hollow threaded coupling  56  which threads into the internally threaded end of the bulb adapter  54  and into the threaded hole  50  in the dispenser body  40 . The outlet end of a squeeze bulb  58  slips over the barbed end of the bulb adapter  54 .  
         [0032]    A swivel insert  60  includes an annular groove  62  near the proximal end thereof, a tapped countersunk hole  68  in the distal end thereof, a small diameter internal passage  66  extending from the tapped countersunk hole  68  in the distal end thereof to the longitudinal position of the annular groove  62 , and four small diameter holes  64  each connecting the outside of the annular groove  62  to the passage  66 , the holes  64  being evenly spaced around the annular groove  62 , so that a continuous flow path exists between the annular groove  62  and the tapped countersunk hole  68 . [See FIG. 5]. The outside diameter of the swivel insert  60  is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the cylindrical cavity  46  in the dispenser body  40 , enabling the swivel insert  60  to rotate freely when inserted. A swivel retaining screw  52 , which is threaded into the tapped hole  48  in the dispenser body  40 , extends into the cylindrical cavity  46  and further extends into the annular groove  62  to retain the swivel insert  60 . The diameter of unthreaded tip  53  of the swivel retaining screw  52  is slightly smaller than the thickness of the annular groove  62 , allowing the swivel insert  60  to rotate freely while restraining the motion thereof in the axial direction.  
         [0033]    The atomizer body  70  comprises an atomizer  72  at the distal end thereof, a tapped countersunk hole  74  at the proximal end thereof, and a small diameter internal passage  76  connecting the ends therethrough so that a continuous flow path exists between the tapped countersunk hole  74  and the atomizer  72 . [See FIG. 5]. A hollow threaded coupling  94  connects the distal end of the swivel insert  60  to the proximal end of the atomizer body  70  by threading into the tapped hole  68  on the swivel insert  60  and into the tapped hole  74  on the atomizer body  70 . A tapped countersunk hole  78  in the lower side of the atomizer body  70  is provided for connecting the atomizer body  70  to a scent bottle assembly  82 . A small diameter internal passage  80  in the lower side of the atomizer body  70  connects tapped countersunk hole  78  to internal passage  76 .  
         [0034]    The scent bottle assembly  82  comprises a scent bottle  86  containing a liquid scent  98 , a bottle cap  84 , and a scent dip tube  88 . Internal threads on the bottle cap  84  mate with external threads at the top of the scent bottle  86 , providing a seal which prevents the liquid scent  98  from leaking out. Alternatively, the bottle cap  84  and the scent bottle  86  may be connected and sealed by other means commonly known in the art. A tapped hole  90  in the bottle cap  84  is provided to connect the scent bottle assembly  82  to the atomizer body  70 . A hollow threaded coupling  92  couples the atomizer body  70  to the bottle assembly  82  by threading into the tapped countersunk hole  78  on the atomizer body  70  and into the tapped hole  90  extending through the bottle cap  84 . The inside diameter of the hollow threaded coupling  92  is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the scent dip tube  88 , the scent dip tube  88  being press fit into the hollow threaded coupling  92 . The scent dip tube  88  extends from the hollow threaded coupling  92  to the bottom of scent bottle  86 , enabling the scent dip tube  88  to extract nearly all of the liquid scent  98  from the scent bottle  86 .  
         [0035]    When the dispensing portion  12  of apparatus  10  is assembled, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the keyed fixture  42  of the dispenser body  40  is slip fitted into the keyed slot  32  of the mounting lug  20  and is secured in position by the retaining means  30  being actuated into the detent  44 ; the squeeze bulb  58  is mounted to the dispenser body  40  by means of the bulb adapter  54  and the hollow coupling  56 ; the swivel insert  60  is rotatably fitted into the cylindrical cavity  46  of the dispenser body  40  and is retained in position by the tip  53  of the swivel retaining screw  52 ; the atomizer body  70  is coupled to the swivel insert  60  by the hollow coupling  94  and to the scent bottle assembly  82  by the hollow coupling  92  with the dip tube  88  extending from the hollow coupling  92  to the bottom of the scent bottle  86 .  
         [0036]    As shown in FIG. 6, a continuous internal passage is formed connecting both the squeeze bulb  58  and the dip tube  88  to the atomizer  72 . When the squeeze bulb  58  is actuated, pressurized air is forced through the hole  50  in the dispenser body  40 , flowing through the annular groove  62 , through at least one of the holes  64  and through the internal passage  66  in the swivel insert  60 , into the atomizer body  70  which functions as an aspirator, drawing the liquid scent  98  up through the dip tube  88 , and sending a combined stream of the pressurized air and the liquid scent  98  through the atomizer  72  and out into the atmospheric air as atomized droplets of scent. Scent can be dispersed at the will of the hunter, in any quantity desired depending both on the amount of air expelled from the squeeze bulb  58  and the force and speed with which the squeeze bulb  58  is actuated.  
         [0037]    It should be noted that the size of the scent bottle, or scent reservoir  86  is not dependent upon the amount of liquid scent or the effect on stabilization of the bow. With reference to FIG. 6, and enlarged atomizer body  170 , having the same diameter as the dispenser body  40 , may be mounted to the bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  through the cylindrical swivel insert  160 . The bottle assembly  182  mounts to the atomizer body  170  by any of the methods described above with the dip tube  188  extending downward into the bottom of the bottle assembly  182  to provide for the dispensing of substantially all of the liquid scent through the atomizer opening  72 . The flow path shown in FIG. 6 of the air and liquid scent entrained in the air is substantially identical as the flow path described above. The enlarged atomizer body  170  is shown to provide a clearer understanding of how the bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  will attach forward of a stabilizer mounted to the bow frame and exhibit the identical dimensions as the stabilizer.  
         [0038]    When the dispensing portion  12  is attached to the mounting base  14  by the bolt  28 , and the mounting based  14  is attached to the lower handle  104  of the archery bow  100  by the mounting screws  16   a,    16   b,  the apparatus  10  is ready for use in hunting. As assembled, the apparatus  10  can be viewed as a fixed portion  106  and a rotatable portion  108 , rotatably connected as described above and capable of rotational movement as illustrated in FIG. 4. The fixed portion  106  comprises the mounting base  14 , the quick change mounting lug  20 , the dispenser body  40 , and the squeeze bulb  58 , while the rotatable portion  108  comprises the swivel insert  60 , the atomizer body  70 , and the scent bottle assembly  82 . When the fixed portion  106  is rigidly connected to the archery bow  100 , the rotatably portion  108  is free to rotate based on the gravitational force exerted on the scent bottle assembly  82 , enabling the scent bottle  86  to remain in an upright position regardless of the position of the archery bow  100 , and thus preventing the liquid scent  98  from spilling when the hunter holds the archery bow  100  at various orientations with respect to the ground. As is illustrated in FIG. 4, regardless how the fixed portion  106  is oriented, the rotatable portion  108  retains the same upright vertical orientation.  
         [0039]    For use during bow hunting, the bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  is mounted to extend forwardly from the archery bow  100 , as shown in FIG. 1, enabling the scent dispensing apparatus  10  to further function as a stabilizer, resisting the vertical and lateral torque normally imparted to the bow  100  when an arrow is launched. Additionally, the squeeze bulb  58  serves to dampen the shock and vibration, and the twang, created by the launching of an arrow.  
         [0040]    The bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10  may also be mounted to any other fixed base hunting apparatus such as a tree stand handle or rail, or to a stake mounted into the ground. Regardless of the mounting location of the bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10 , it can be utilized as a wind direction detector by expelling some of the atomized liquid scent and watching the atomized air entrained scent disperse into the air immediately in front of the bow stabilizing scent dispenser  10 . Thus, a small amount of atomized air entrained scent will readily provide the wind direction information to the hunter easily and without the need for a separate detection device.  
         [0041]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as being illustrative and not restrictive, with the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing detailed description, as indicating the scope of the invention as well as all modifications which may fall within a range of equivalency, which are also intended to be embraced therein.