Patent Publication Number: US-11656056-B2

Title: Archery bow limb reinforcement

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 63/107,351, filed Oct. 29, 2020, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to archery bows and more specifically to archery bow limbs. 
     Archery bows are generally known in the art. Drawing the bowstring of an archery bow stores energy in the bow. This energy is often stored by flexing limbs of the bow. The stored energy is desirably used to propel an arrow. 
     It is generally desirable for an archery bow to have a low weight. There is a trade-off between strength and longevity. For example, a heavier, stronger bow tends to have a longer lifespan than a bow that is comparatively lighter and more fragile. 
     There remains a need for novel structures that provide benefits over prior structures. There remains a need for archery bow limb arrangements that are lightweight and have a long service life. 
     All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below. 
     A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In some embodiments, an archery bow limb comprises a body comprising a first end and a second end. The first end is arranged to be supported by a riser. The second end is arranged to support an axle and a rotatable member. A reinforcing member extends through the body. The reinforcing member is oriented parallel to the axle. 
     In some embodiments, the reinforcing member applies a compressive force to the body. 
     In some embodiments, the archery bow limb comprises a first bracket arranged to abut a first side of the body and the first bracket is engaged with the reinforcing member. In some embodiments, the first bracket is threadably engaged with the reinforcing member. In some embodiments, the first bracket comprises a surface arranged to contact the body, wherein the surface is oriented non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body. 
     In some embodiments, the archery bow limb comprises a second bracket arranged to abut a second side of the body and the second bracket is engaged with the reinforcing member. 
     In some embodiments, the first bracket comprises a first surface and the second bracket comprises a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are oriented at equal-but-opposite angles to a longitudinal axis of the body. 
     In some embodiments, the body comprises a midportion located between the first end and the second end, and the reinforcing member extends through the midportion. 
     In some embodiments, the archery bow limb comprises a secondary reinforcing mechanism, the secondary reinforcing mechanism contacting a tension surface and a compression surface of the body. 
     These and other embodiments which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and objectives obtained by its use, reference can be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof and the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there are illustrated and described various embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawings. 
         FIG.  1    shows an embodiment of an archery bow. 
         FIG.  2    shows an exploded view of a reinforcing member and a portion of an embodiment of an archery bow. 
         FIG.  3    shows another view of an embodiment of an archery bow. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are described in detail herein specific embodiments of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. 
     For the purposes of this disclosure, like reference numerals in the figures shall refer to like features unless otherwise indicated. 
       FIG.  1    shows an embodiment of an archery bow  10 . In some embodiments, an archery bow  10  comprises a riser  12 , a first limb  20 , a second limb  22  and a bowstring  16 . In some embodiments, an archery bow  10  comprises a compound bow, for example comprising a first rotatable member  30 , a second rotatable member  32  and a power cable  14 . In some embodiments, a rotatable member  32  comprises a cam and the power cable  14  is arranged to be taken up by the cam as the bowstring  16  is drawn. In some embodiments, a bow  10  can comprise a two-cam bow, for example having two cams and two power cables. In some embodiments, a bow  10  can comprise a single-cam bow, for example as shown in  FIG.  1   . In some embodiments, a single-cam bow  10  comprises a continuous cable segment  17  that comprises both the bowstring  16  and a control cable segment  18 . 
     In some embodiments, an archery bow  10  comprises a reinforcing member  40 . In some embodiments, a limb  20  comprises a reinforcing member  40 . In some embodiments, a first limb  20  comprises a first reinforcing member  40  and a second limb  22  comprises a second reinforcing member  50 . In some embodiments, the second reinforcing member  50  is similar to the first reinforcing member  40 , for example comprising components of similar size and shape. 
       FIG.  2    shows an embodiment of an archery bow  10  and an exploded view of an embodiment of a reinforcing member  40 . 
     In some embodiments, a limb  20  comprises a tension surface  54 , compression surface  56 , a first side  55  and a second side  57 . In some embodiments, a limb  20  comprises a first end portion  24 , a midportion  25  and a second end portion  26  along its length. In some embodiments, the first end portion  24  is engaged with the riser  12 . In some embodiments, the second end portion  26  supports an axle  31 . In some embodiments, an axle  31  supports a rotatable member  30 . In some embodiments, the second end portion  26  comprises a fork  28  comprising a first arm  27  and a second arm  29 . In some embodiments, the fork  28  defines a cavity located between the first arm  27  and the second arm  29 . In some embodiments, the axle  31  extends between the first arm  27  and the second arm  29 . In some embodiments, a rotatable member  30  is positioned between the first arm  27  and the second arm  29 . 
     In some embodiments, a reinforcing member  40  extends through the limb  20 . In some embodiments, a limb  20  comprises an aperture  23  and a reinforcing member  40  is oriented in the aperture  23 . In some embodiments, a reinforcing member  40  comprises a shaft  42 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  extends through the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  is oriented in the aperture  23 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  comprises a shear pin that reinforces the limb  20  against shear forces. In some embodiments, the shaft  42  is oriented parallel to the axle  31 . 
     In some embodiments, a reinforcing member  40  comprises a bracket  44 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  is engaged with the bracket  44 . Any suitable engagement mechanism can be used. In some embodiments, a bracket  44  comprises a clip, for example an e-clip as commonly used on archery bows to engage an axle. In some embodiments, a bracket  44  comprises an aperture  45 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  extends through the aperture  45 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  comprises a head  43  or other protrusion, and the head  43  abuts the bracket  44 . In some embodiments, a size of the head  43  is greater than a size of the aperture  23 . In some embodiments, the bracket  44  comprises a flange  47  arranged to abut the head  43 . 
     In some embodiments, a bracket  44  comprises a first bracket  44  and the reinforcing member further comprises a second bracket  46 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  is engaged with the second bracket  46 . Any suitable engagement mechanism can be used. In some embodiments, the second bracket  46  comprises an aperture  45  and the shaft  42  extends through the aperture  45 . In some embodiments, the second bracket  46  comprises screw threads  48 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  comprises threads  48  arranged to engage the second bracket  46 . 
     In some embodiments, the reinforcing member  40  is arranged to apply a compressive force to the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the first bracket  44  is arranged to contact the first side  55  of the limb  20  and the second bracket  46  is arranged to contact the second side  57  of the limb. In some embodiments, the reinforcing member applies a compressive force to the first side  55  and second side  57  of the limb  20 . 
     In some embodiments, the reinforcing member  40  is located in the midportion  25  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the reinforcing member  40  extends through the midportion  25  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, an aperture  23  is located in the midportion  25  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the shaft  42  is located in the midportion  25  of the limb  20 . 
     In some embodiments, a limb  20  comprises a secondary reinforcing mechanism  60 . In some embodiments, a secondary reinforcing mechanism  60  comprises a clamp arranged to compress the limb  20 . In some embodiments, a secondary reinforcing mechanism  60  comprises a first pad  64 , a second pad  66  and a connector  62 . In some embodiments, the connector  62  engages the first pad  64  and the second pad  66 , and the pads  64 ,  66  apply a compressive force to the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the first pad  64  contacts the tension surface  54  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the second pad  66  contacts the compression surface  56  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the secondary reinforcing mechanism  60  applies a compressive force to the limb  20 . 
     In some embodiments, the secondary reinforcing mechanism  60  is located outside of the midportion  25  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the secondary reinforcing mechanism  60  is located in the second end portion  26  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, a secondary reinforcing mechanism  60  comprises a first pad  64  arranged to contact the first arm  27  and the second arm  29  of the second end portion  26  of a limb  20 . In some embodiments, a second pad  66  is arranged to contact the first arm  27  and the second arm  29 . In some embodiments, a fork  28  in the limb  20  defines a cavity, and the connector  62  is oriented in the cavity. 
     In some embodiments, the connector  62  comprises a shaft oriented orthogonal to a reinforcing member  40 . In some embodiments, the connector  62  comprises a shaft oriented orthogonal to an axle  31  supported by the limb  20 . 
       FIG.  3    shows an embodiment of an archery bow  10 . In some embodiments, a limb  20  comprises a tapered portion  34 . In some embodiments, the midportion  25  of the limb  20  comprises a tapered portion  34 . In some embodiments, the tapered portion  34  comprises a first side  55  and a second side  57  that are non-parallel. 
     In some embodiments, a reinforcing member  40  is oriented in a tapered portion  34  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the first bracket  44  comprises a first surface  49  oriented nonparallel to a longitudinal axis  21  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the second bracket  46  comprises a second surface  59  oriented nonparallel to a longitudinal axis  21  of the limb  20 . In some embodiments, the first surface  49  and the second surface  59  are oriented at equal-but-opposite angles to the longitudinal axis  21  of the limb  20 . 
     In some embodiments, a bracket  44 ,  46  comprises an aperture  45 . In some embodiments, a central axis of the aperture  45  is oriented at a non-orthogonal angle to the surface  49 ,  59  of the bracket  44 ,  46  arranged to contact the limb  20 . 
     The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this field of art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to.” Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims. 
     Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the invention such that the invention should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, for purposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows should be taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from all prior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependent claim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within the jurisdiction (e.g. each claim depending directly from claim  1  should be alternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). In jurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, the following dependent claims should each be also taken as alternatively written in each singly dependent claim format which creates a dependency from a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listed in such dependent claim below. 
     This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto.