Patent Publication Number: US-7895996-B2

Title: Illuminating rear bow sight with self contained power and light source

Description:
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable. 
     CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable 
     SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The earliest concrete evidence of archery dates back approximately 5,000 years. The bow probably originated for use in hunting and was then adopted as a tool of warfare. Bows eventually replaced the atlatl (spear-thrower) as the predominant means for launching projectiles. Classical civilizations, notably the Persians, Macedonians, Nubians, Greeks, Parthians, Indians, Chinese, and Koreans, fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. Arrows proved exceptionally destructive against massed formations and the use of archers often proved decisive. Archers sometimes rode on horseback, combining range with speed. 
     Archery has advanced much since these early days of human civilization. Much of the archery done today is for sport, either as a weapon for hunting game, or in competition in such events as the Pan American and Olympic Games, or intercollegiate and local contests. 
     These sporting events, specifically while hunting game, may require the archer to operate the bow in low-light conditions. To ensure proper targeting and trajectory of the arrow, certain sighting processes and devices have been developed over time to improve accuracy and precision of the released arrow. One such sighting device comprises a rear bow sight installed within multi-string bowstrings, and sighting pins installed on the bow itself. As the archer sets the arrow, and draws the arrow and bowstring rearward in a typical fashion, the rear bow sight and sighting pins are aligned to ensure accuracy of released arrow to the target at a determined distance downrange. 
     However, this sight pin/rear bow sight combination is difficult to operate in low light conditions. Lighted sighting pins have been developed in the past for both archery and for fire arms and are not claimed herein. Additionally, rear bow sights have been developed in the past and this basic concept is not claimed herein. Specifically, rear bow sights have even been marketed that claim to illuminate via battery power. The down side of this technology arises because traditionally the battery to enable such illumination is attached to the body of the bow, and a cord within which the power is provided stretches from the bow to the rear bow sight located within the multi-string bowstring. This encumbers the archer when the bowstring is drawn rearward into the shooting position. Additionally, the power cord attached between the bow and the bowstring will slow and alter the path of the bowstring upon its release by the archer when shooting the arrow. This in turn may affect the course of the arrow, or change the range and trajectory of the arrow and therefore reduce accuracy to the target. 
     Additionally, a problem many hunters and archers encounter when using such sighting systems in low-light conditions is blurring of the sights when illumination means are installed into the rear bow sight. This essentially blurs the archer&#39;s vision of both the target and the sighting pins used in conjunction with the rear bow sight. The shape of the rear bow sight and positioning of the lighting means within the rear bow sight becomes critical to the effective and accurate operation of the sighting system used by the archer. 
     Moreover, when used in the sport of game hunting, any person skilled in the art is aware that silence, or near-silence, is critical to success. When an illuminated rear bow sight is used, it is not favored to leave the apparatus lit as this will drain the attached battery and may even attract attention to the hunter. The hunter will typically switch the illumination means within the rear bow sight into the on position as the bow is readied to shoot at the target. Therefore, it is imperative to the success of the hunter to quietly engage the illumination on the rear bow sight when maneuvering into a shooting position. A silent switch on the rear bow sight is essential for any hunter. 
     Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,220,983, 4,495,705, 5,080,084, 5,107,596, 5,148,603, 5,379,748, and 5,339,227, as well as U.S. patent application, Publication No. 2003/0019118. However, each one of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: (1) the battery to enable illumination of a rear bow sight is attached to the body of the bow and a power cord stretches from the bow to the rear bow sight located within the bowstring, thus encumbering the archer when the bowstring is drawn rearward into the shooting position, as well as slowing and altering the path of the bowstring upon release of the arrow by the archer; (2) blurring of the sighting pins and target occurs when the rear bow sight is illuminated; and (3) sound is created when the archer activates the illumination means. 
     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a less cumbersome, quieter and more efficient rear bow sight for archers and hunters that will provide a clear view of the target and sighting pins and enable a more accurate shot downrange. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is directed to an apparatus that satisfies this need of archers and hunters and provides a less cumbersome, quieter and more efficient rear bow sight that provides a clear view of the target and sighting pins and enables a more accurate shot downrange. The rear bow sight having features of the present invention attaches within the strings of a multi-string bowstring and comprises a body member and a switching member, both designed to be capable of being connected via an interlocking means, a battery which is self contained within the rear bow sight device and an LED light unit, also self contained with the rear bow sight. 
     In one such embodiment, the body member is opaque in clarity, and is of a shape capable of being fastened to the switching member, and an upper end of the body member is formed into a V-shaped configuration suitable for viewing the sighting pins. The body member comprises a solid structure, and a battery/LED channel is fashioned located along the longitudinal center of the body member. The battery/LED channel is of such a radius to allow insertion of the battery and LED unit, and is tapered at its upper most section to a diameter sufficient to temporarily hold the LED unit in a temporarily fixed position. In the preferred embodiment, the shaft of the bore is drilled to a radius approximately equal to a number nineteen (#19) drill bit, and the end of said bore used to temporarily fix the LED is narrowed to a radius approximately equal to a number twenty-three (#23) drill bit. 
     The switching member is opaque in clarity, and of a shape capable of being fastened to the body member in an interlocking fashion. This may resemble the interlocking ends of the body member and the switching member being generally U-shaped in appearance. The switching member will have a shallow bored hole of a sufficient diameter to securely hold the battery unit and LED fixture. In one embodiment, the switching member is U-shaped or V-shaped, and when it, along with the inserted battery and LED fixture are inserted into the aforementioned bored hole found within the body member, and the LED is secured within the aforementioned narrowing of the bored hole, the switching member can be pulled slightly inward and outward to engage the illumination means. 
     The battery and light fixture comprises a stick-type battery and a small LED light device. In the preferred embodiment, the battery is a three volt (3V) lithium battery stick of approximately 1.5 inches in length and approximately 4 millimeters in diameter. The LED light device is affixed directly to the end of the battery stick, said combination including a switching means whereby the user can push the LED light device in or pull the LED light device outward to activate or deactivate the illumination means. 
     A feature of the body member comprises a clarity in the opaque finish of said body member. This enables the body member to show the illumination coming from the internally located LED. This clarity is V-shaped in nature, and oriented to match the V-shaped view area of the body member discussed below. In the preferred embodiment and best mode, this transparent area is approximately 1/32″ in width, and located approximately 1/16″ from the top viewing portion of the body member. 
     Another feature of the body member comprises a V-shaped cut in the upper portion of said body member whereby the user will view the sighting pins used in conjunction with the rear bow sight. This feature, in combination with the illumination means, prevents blurring of the sighting pins and target. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings presented hereafter are to be used together with the description and appended claims to explain the inventive aspects of the invention, and representative examples of the embodiments herein. The drawings are not to be construed as limiting the invention to only the illustrated and described embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the rear bow sight device. 
         FIG. 2A  is an elevation side view of the housing member showing internal LED housing. 
         FIG. 2B  is an elevation side view of the switching member showing internal battery housing. 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS 
       10  Switching member 
       12  Battery housing 
       14  Battery 
       16  LED unit 
       18  Body member 
       20  Body member interconnection means 
       22  Transparent V-shaped cuts 
       24  Attachment grooves 
       26  View area 
       28  Stabilizing peg 
       30  LED housing 
       32  Battery/LED Channel 
       34  Switching member interconnection means 
     DESCRIPTION 
     The reader&#39;s attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference. All features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract or drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a rear bow sight device having features of the present invention attaches within the strings of a multi-string bowstring by use of shallow attachment grooves  24  etched along both sides of a body member. The rear bow sight device comprises the body member  18  and a switching member  10 , both designed to be capable of being connected via an interlocking means  20 ,  34 , a battery  14  which is self contained within the rear bow sight device and an LED light unit  16 , also self contained with the rear bow sight, and finally a stabilizing peg  28 . The body member  18  is formed such that the top end of said body member  18  is cut with a view area  26 . Preferably and in the best mode said view area  26  may be a V-shaped groove in the body member  18 . The body member  18  may have an interconnecting means  20  to enable connection with the switching member  10 , and the switching member  10  may have a matching interconnecting portion  34  enabling the two units to be joined in an interlocking fashion. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A , the body member  18  is opaque in clarity, and is of a shape capable of being fastened to the switching member  10 , and an upper end of the body member  18  is formed into a V-shaped configuration suitable for viewing the sighting pins. The body member  18  comprises a solid structure, and a battery/LED channel  32  is bored within said body member  18  located along the longitudinal center of the body member  18 . The battery/LED channel  32  is of such a radius to allow insertion of the battery  14  and LED unit  16 , and a LED housing  30  is fashioned at the battery/LED channel&#39;s  32  upper most section to a diameter sufficient to temporarily hold the LED unit  16  in a temporarily fixed position. In the preferred embodiment, the shaft of the battery/LED channel  32  is drilled to a radius approximately equal to a number nineteen (#19) drill bit, and the LED housing  30  used to temporarily fix the LED unit  16  is narrowed to a radius approximately equal to a number twenty-three (#23) drill bit. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , the switching member  10  is opaque in clarity, and of a shape capable of being fastened to the body member in an interlocking fashion  34 . The switching member  10  will have a battery housing  12 , a shallow bored hole of a sufficient diameter to securely hold the battery  14  and LED unit  16  fixtures. In one embodiment, the switching member  10  is U-shaped or V-shaped, and when it, along with the inserted battery  14  and LED unit  16  are inserted into the aforementioned battery/LED channel  32  found within the body member  18 , and the LED unit  16  is secured within the aforementioned LED housing  30 , the switching member  10  can be pulled slightly inward and outward to engage or disengage the illumination means. 
     The battery  14  and LED unit  16  comprises a stick-type battery and a small LED light device. In the preferred embodiment, the battery is a three volt (3V) lithium battery stick of approximately 1.5 inches in length and approximately 4 millimeters in diameter. The LED light unit  16  is affixed directly to the end of the battery stick  14 , said combination including a switching means whereby the user can push the LED light device in or pull the LED light device outward to activate or deactivate the illumination means. 
     A further feature of the body member  18  comprises a transparent V-shaped cut  22 , represented by a clarity in the opaque finish of said body member  18 . This enables the body member  18  to emit the illumination coming from the internally located LED unit  16  or illumination means. This clarity is V-shaped in nature, and oriented to match the V-shaped view area  26  of the body member  18  discussed below. In the preferred embodiment and best mode, this transparent area  22  is approximately 1/32″ in width, and located approximately 1/16″ from the top viewing portion of the body member. 
     The previously described versions of the present invention have many advantages, including: providing a less cumbersome, quieter and more efficient rear bow sight that also provides a clear view of the target and sighting pins and enables a more accurate shot downrange. However, the invention does not require that all advantageous features and all the advantages need to be incorporated into every embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.