OFFSET STABILIZER

Abstract

An archery bow includes a riser having an offset riser portion, a bowstring, and a stabilizer mount. The riser defines a vertical center plane that divides the handle portion into right and left sides when the bow is positioned upright and ready for use. The bowstring extends between opposing ends of the handle portion. The stabilizer mount is mounted to the offset riser portion so that the stabilizer is offset laterally and vertically from the handgrip and vertical center plane, respectively, of the archery bow to compensate for archery accessories attached to the bow.

Description

BACKGROUND

When an arrow is shot from an archery bow, the bow moves in response to the forces generated upon release of the bowstring. In addition, the bow absorbs the energy not imparted to the arrow, which causes the bow to vibrate. Movement and vibration of the bow have a direct impact on shooting accuracy. A bow stabilizer device may be attached to the bow to balance the bow and dampen vibrations in the bow to minimize unintentional bow movement when shooting. One function of a bow stabilizer is to provide a counterweight that helps stabilize and maintain the bow in an upright or vertically oriented position during launching of the arrow.

One conventional type of bow stabilizer is a rod with a circular cross-section. Rod stabilizers may use a rod alone or use a system of movable weights along the rod length. Some rod stabilizers include a plurality of rods arranged radially spaced from each other. Rod stabilizers that include only a rod may act as both a dampener and a weight, wherein the dampener absorbs and may transfer the energy to another “weight” portion of the rod. In a system that includes a rod and separate weights, the rod may transfer the energy of the bow to the weights.

Stabilizers are typically constructed to extend in a forward direction from the bow when the bow is oriented in an upright, shooting position. Stabilizers are usually mounted on the bow at a location on the riser and extend straight away from the riser. Stabilizers are typically aligned with a center line or center plane of the bow, with reference to the riser, when the bow is held upright. The balance and weight of the bow are affected, however, by accessories that are commonly mounted to a bow, including a quiver full of arrows, a cable guard, dampeners, sight components, etc. The added accessories often change the balance of the bow and may affect performance of the bow. Some prior stabilizers are positioned to offset the weight of the added accessories by utilizing an extension arm from which the stabilizer extends.

A need exists, therefore, for a stabilizer that accounts and compensates for the weight imbalance of an archery bow and the attached accessories.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an archery bow that includes a riser, a bowstring, and a stabilizer mount. The riser defines a vertical center plane that divides the handle portion into right and left sides when the archery bow is positioned upright and ready for use. The bowstring extends between opposing ends of the handle portion. The riser includes an offset section to which a stabilizer may be mounted in a position that is offset from the vertical center plane.

The vertical center plane may be a weighted center plane that divides the riser into equal weight right and left sides when the archery bow is positioned upright. The riser may include a handgrip, and the offset riser section may be provided vertically below handgrip and laterally offset the vertical center plane of the riser. A stabilizer mount may be connected to a side surface of the handle portion. The riser may be coupled to first and second limbs. The limbs may be mounted to opposing free ends of the riser. The archery bow may include a stabilizer secured to the stabilizer mount, mounted in turn to the offset riser portion, and at least one accessory supported by the riser portion, wherein the stabilizer is mounted and configured to at least partially offset an imbalance in the archery bow created by the at least one accessory.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an archery bow that includes a riser, limbs extending from the riser, at least one cable member extending between the limbs, and a stabilizer extending from the riser. The stabilizer is mounted to an offset riser section which is offset laterally from a vertical weighted centerline of the archery bow when the archery bow is positioned upright and ready for use.

The weighted centerline may be aligned with a plane extending through the bowstring, limbs and riser. The riser may include left and right side surfaces when the archery bow is positioned upright, and the stabilizer is mounted to one of the left and right side surfaces of the offset riser portion. The stabilizer extends away from the at least one cable. The archery bow may also include a stabilizer mount connected to the offset riser portion, which is configured to support the stabilizer.

A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to an archery bow stabilizer assembly that includes a stabilizer mount and a stabilizer. The stabilizer mount is configured for attachment to a side surface of an offset section of an archery bow riser. The offset section is offset from a vertical center plane of the archery bow when the archery bow is positioned upright and ready for use. The stabilizer is releasably mounted to the stabilizer mount at the offset riser section.

The stabilizer may be configured to offset weight imbalances in the archery bow. The stabilizer mount may be configured for attachment to the archery bow riser with a plurality of fasteners. The stabilizer mount may include a threaded bore sized to receive a threaded shank of the stabilizer.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of stabilizing an archery bow. The method includes providing an archery bow having a riser with an offset riser section and a stabilizer, and mounting the stabilizer to the offset riser section of the archery bow such that the stabilizer is laterally offset from a vertical weighted center plane when the archery bow is in an upright position ready for use with the stabilizer extending in a forward direction. The stabilizer stabilizes the archery bow during use.

The method may also include providing at least one accessory and mounting the at least one accessory to the archery bow, wherein the stabilizer compensates for at least some imbalances in the archery bow imposed by the at least one accessory. The archery bow may include a riser, limbs mounted to the riser, and a bowstring extending between the limbs, and the center plane extends through the riser, limbs and bowstring. The archery bow may include a riser having a handgrip, and the center plane extends through the handgrip. Mounting the stabilizer may include connecting the stabilizer to a right side surface or a left side surface of the archery bow when the archery bow is in an upright position ready for use.

The foregoing and other features, utilities, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the following more particular description of certain embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an archery bow having an offset stabilizer in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a partial exploded perspective view of the archery bow of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the archery bow of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the archery bow of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows another perspective view of the archery bow of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows another front view of the archery bow of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to archery bows generally, and more specifically relates to stabilizer features for use with archery bows. Bow stabilizers are commonly used to help stabilize the archery bow during use. Bow stabilizers are typically mounted to a handle portion (e.g., a riser) of the archery bow and extend in a forward direction away from the bowstring. Bow stabilizers may help offset forces or actions that occur when launching an arrow from the archery bow. For example, the stabilizer may be used to offset tilting, twisting, or torsion forces when shooting an arrow from the archery bow.

An example stabilizer in accordance with the present disclosure is mounted to the riser at an offset riser section that is offset from a symmetry plane or a weighted center plane of the archery bow. A symmetry plane typically extends through the bowstring and centrally through a handgrip of the handle portion and divides the archery bow into left and right sides. A weighted center plane is a vertical plane extending through the bowstring and riser to divide the archery bow into left and right sides of equal weight. Typically, an archery bow without accessories mounted thereto has the symmetric center plane aligned with the weighted center plane so that the archery bow remains in an upright position ready for use when the operator holds the handgrip of the handle portion. In other arrangements, the archery bow with some key accessories such as the bow sight mounted thereto has the symmetric center plane aligned with the weighted center plane, and the addition of further accessories creates imbalances in the archery bow.

Mounting accessories to the archery bow may create imbalances that tend to create torsion forces and tilt or torque the archery bow when an arrow is launched. The offset riser portion allows the stabilizer to be positioned on the archery bow at an offset location to offset or counterbalance at least some of the forces imposed by the mounted accessories that would otherwise create imbalances in the archery bow. The offset riser portion eliminates the need to have an extension arm, which may extend downwardly and laterally relative to the handgrip of the bow, to which a stabilizer is mounted. In one example, the offset stabilizer is mounted to a side surface of the offset riser section of the archery bow. The offset stabilizer may be offset laterally from at least one of a weighted center plane and a symmetric center plane of the archery bow.

Archery bow stabilizers disclosed herein may include a stabilizer mount that is connected directly to the riser of the archery bow, and a stabilizer that is removably mounted to the stabilizer mount. The stabilizer mount may be configured to position the stabilizer at various offset positions relative to at least one of the symmetric center plane and weighted center plane of the archery bow. Typically, the stabilizer is mounted at a location vertically below a handgrip of the riser of the archery bow when the archery bow is in an upright position ready for use.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example archery bow 10 is shown and described. The archery bow 10 includes a riser 12, first and second limbs 14, 16 mounted to the riser 12, first and second cams 18, 20 supported on the first and second limbs 14, 16, respectively, a pair of cables 22, 24 extending between the first and second cams 18, 20, and a bowstring 26 also extending between the first and second cams 18, 20. The archery bow 10 is typically operated by a user grasping the riser 12 about a handgrip 44 with one hand (e.g., the left hand) and pulling or drawing the bowstring 26 in a rearward direction away from the riser 12 with an opposite hand (i.e., the right hand).

The archery bow 10 may include a number of accessories mounted thereto. For example, the archery bow 10 may include a stabilizer assembly 28, a plurality of dampeners 30, a cable guard 32, a bowstring silencer 34, and a quiver 36. At least some of the accessories (e.g., the dampeners 30 and bowstring silencer 34) may be aligned with the symmetric center plane (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Others of the accessories (e.g., the cable guard 32 and quiver 36) may be offset from the symmetric center plane (see FIG. 4). The offset position of the cable guard 32 and quiver 36 from a symmetric vertical center plane P₁ and vertically above a horizontal symmetric center plane P₄ (see FIG. 6) may create a static imbalance in the archery bow 10, such as a rotational force about a rotation axis A.

The rotation axis A (i.e., the axis about which the bow rotates during a shot as a result of bow torque) may extend through the riser 12 along the hand grip 44 (e.g., when the hand grip 44 abuts against a top of the user's hand). The position of rotation axis A in the figures is approximate and may vary depending on a number of factors such as various features of the riser 12, the configuration of the hand grip 44, how the shooter grips the bow, etc.

The stabilizer assembly 28 may include an offset or staggered riser section 27 to allow a stabilizer to be mounted in an offset manner without an extension arm or other structure. The offset riser portion 27 allows the stabilizer to be mounted laterally offset in an opposite direction relative to the other offset accessories (e.g., the cable guard 32 and quiver 36). The offset riser portion 27 may include a stabilizer mounting aperture 29. The stabilizer assembly 28 may be offset a distance H (see FIG. 3) in a vertical direction from the rotation axis A. The stabilizer assembly 28 may be offset a distance W (see FIG. 3) in a lateral direction from the symmetric plane P₁ (see FIGS. 5-6). The offset position of the offset riser section 27 and corresponding stabilizer assembly 28 may help counterbalance some of the destabilizing forces imposed by the offset positioning of other of the accessories.

The offset riser section 27 may include any portion of the riser where the stabilizer is directly connected at a location that is offset from at least one of the weighted and geometric centerlines of the riser 12.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the riser 12 includes first and second limb connection members 40, 42, a handgrip 44, left and right side surfaces 46, 48, a front surface 50, and a stabilizer recess 52. The first and second limbs 14, 16 may be mounted to the riser 12 at the first and second limb connection members 40, 42, respectively. The handgrip 44 may help define a location of symmetry for the archery bow 10. For example, the symmetric center plane P₁ may pass centrally through the handgrip 44. Further, the rotation axis A may extend through the handgrip 44 (see FIG. 3).

The stabilizer recess 52 may extend at least partially onto at least one of the left, right, and/or front surfaces 46, 48, 50 (see FIG. 2). The stabilizer assembly 28 may be connected along the left side surface 46 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) and directly to the offset riser section 27. Other arrangements are possible for mounting the stabilizer assembly 28 including, for example, mounting within portions of the stabilizer recess 52 that extend along the right side surface 48 and the front surface 50.

The stabilizer assembly 28 may include a stabilizer mount 60, a plurality of fasteners 62 used to secure the stabilizer mount 60 to the offset riser section 27 of the riser 12, and a stabilizer 64 that is removably mounted to the stabilizer mount 60. The stabilizer mount 60 may include a threaded bore 66 sized to receive a threaded shaft 70 of the stabilizer 64 to provide the releasable attachment therebetween (see FIG. 2). The stabilizer mount 60 may also include a plurality of fastener bores 68 sized to receive the fastener 62 for securing the stabilizer mount 60 to the riser 12 at different vertical and lateral positions relative to the symmetric and horizontal center planes P₁, P₄.

In some arrangements, the stabilizer mount 60 and stabilizer 64 may be integrally formed as a single piece. In other arrangements, the stabilizer assembly 28 may include a stabilizer mount 60 or a stabilizer 64 with multiple pieces. The stabilizer 64 may have any shape, size, weight, or configuration. In some examples, the stabilizer 64 provides dampening functions in addition to stabilizing functions. The stabilizer mount 60 may be integrally formed into the riser 12, such as a threaded bore formed into the riser 12.

Positions of the stabilizer assembly 28 may be accessible from a front or a rear facing surface of the offset riser section 27 of the riser 12. For example, the stabilizer assembly 28 may include a first stabilizer mount with a first threaded bore facing in a rearward direction toward the bowstring 26, and a second threaded bore facing in a forward direction wherein each threaded bore is configured to releasably mount a stabilizer.

The archery bow 10 may have a plurality of different weighted center planes for different arrangements that are inclusive or exclusive of accessories such as the stabilizer assembly 28. A vertical symmetric center plane P₁ extends through the bowstring 26 and rotation axis A when no accessories are included on the archery bow 10. As noted above, the vertical weighted center plane may be aligned with the symmetric center plane P₁ prior to adding accessories. The vertical weighted center plane may shift laterally after mounting certain accessories to the archery bow 10. A second vertical center plane P₂ is shown in FIG. 6 representing a shift in the vertical weighted center plane away from the symmetric center plane P₁. Adding the stabilizer assembly 28 secured to the offset riser section 27 as shown in FIGS. 1-6 may create a third vertical weighted center plane P₃ that is closer to the original symmetric center plane P₁ (see FIG. 6). In some arrangements, the stabilizer assembly 28 may be sized and configured to shift the vertical weighted center line to a position between the plane P₁ and the stabilizer assembly 28.

The addition of accessories at various heights H and widths W from the rotation axis A and symmetric center plane P₁ influences the amount of unbalancing force imposed by the additional accessories. The stabilizer assembly 28 may be positioned at different locations along the offset riser section 27 of the riser 12 at certain heights H and widths W besides that location shown in the figures to optimize the counterbalancing effect available by using an offset stabilizer assembly. Further, the offset riser section 27 may be made of any suitable configuration and provided at any suitable location.

An example method of stabilizing an archery bow in accordance with the present disclosure may include providing an archery bow with a riser including an offset section for attaching a stabilizer thereto, wherein the stabilizer is used to stabilize the archery bow during use. The method may include mounting the stabilizer to the archery bow at an offset section of the riser relative to a vertical center plane of the archery bow. The center plane may be a vertical weighted center plane when the archery bow is in an upright position during use. Alternatively, the center plane may be a symmetrical center plane relative to the majority of the riser. The stabilizer may be mounted to an offset riser section which is laterally offset from the vertical center plane. The stabilizer may be mounted to a side surface of the offset riser portion, such as, for example, a left or right side surface of a riser. The stabilizer may compensate for imbalances in the archery bow imposed by various factors, including one or more accessories mounted to the archery bow, bow torque caused by the archer, etc.

The present disclosure relates to a number of methods involving the example stabilizer mounts and other stabilizer related features discussed herein with reference to the attached figures. One such method is directed to stabilizing an archery bow using a stabilizer. The stabilizer is mounted to the archery bow on a laterally offset section of the riser relative to a vertical weighted center plane of the archery bow. The vertical weighted center plane is a plane that extends through the archery bow front to rear when the archery bow is in an upright position ready for use. The vertical weighted center plane divides the archery bow into right and left halves of equal weight. The vertical weighted center plane may be determined before or after mounting at least one accessory to the archery bow. The vertical weighted center plane may be aligned with a vertical symmetric center plane that extends front to back through the archery bow and symmetrically divides the bow into right and left halves. The stabilizer being mounted to an offset portion of the riser eliminates the need to mount the stabilizer at an angle relative to the plane of the riser and/or to use an extra arm in mounting the stabilizer.

Another example method relates to mounting a stabilizer to an archery bow. The archery bow includes a riser, limbs, and a bowstring. The archery bow has a vertical symmetric center plane that divides the archery bow into symmetric left and right halves when the archery bow is in an upright position ready for use. The method includes mounting a stabilizer to an offset portion of the riser relative to the vertical symmetric center plane. Mounting the stabilizer may include connecting a stabilizer mount to the offset section of the riser, and releasably connecting the stabilizer to the stabilizer mount. The stabilizer mount may include a threaded bore sized to threadably receive a threaded shaft of the stabilizer. Mounting the stabilizer may include extending the stabilizer in a forward direction away from the handle portion.

The terms recited in the claims should be given their ordinary and customary meaning as determined by reference to relevant entries (e.g., definition of “plane” as a carpenter's tool would not be relevant to the use of the term “plane” when used to refer to an airplane, etc.) in dictionaries (e.g., widely used general reference dictionaries and/or relevant technical dictionaries), commonly understood meanings by those in the art, etc., with the understanding that the broadest meaning imparted by any one or combination of these sources should be given to the claim terms (e.g., two or more relevant dictionary entries should be combined to provide the broadest meaning of the combination of entries, etc.) subject only to the following exceptions: (a) if a term is used herein in a manner more expansive than its ordinary and customary meaning, the term should be given its ordinary and customary meaning plus the additional expansive meaning, or (b) if a term has been explicitly defined to have a different meaning by reciting the term followed by the phrase “as used herein shall mean” or similar language (e.g., “herein this term means,” “as defined herein,” “for the purposes of this disclosure [the term] shall mean,” etc.). References to specific examples, use of “i.e.,” use of the word “invention,” etc., are not meant to invoke exception (b) or otherwise restrict the scope of the recited claim terms. Other than situations where exception (b) applies, nothing contained herein should be considered a disclaimer or disavowal of claim scope. Accordingly, the subject matter recited in the claims is not coextensive with and should not be interpreted to be coextensive with any particular embodiment, feature, or combination of features shown herein. This is true even if only a single embodiment of the particular feature or combination of features is illustrated and described herein. Thus, the appended claims should be read to be given their broadest interpretation in view of the prior art and the ordinary meaning of the claim terms.

As used herein, spatial or directional terms, such as “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” and the like, relate to the subject matter as it is shown in the drawing FIGS. However, it is to be understood that the subject matter described herein may assume various alternative orientations and, accordingly, such terms are not to be considered as limiting. Furthermore, as used herein (i.e., in the claims and the specification), articles such as “the,” “a,” and “an” may connote the singular or plural. Also, as used herein, the word “or” when used without a preceding “either” (or other similar language indicating that “or” is unequivocally meant to be exclusive—e.g., only one of x or y, etc.) shall be interpreted to be inclusive (e.g., “x or y” means one or both x or y). Likewise, as used herein, the term “and/or” shall also be interpreted to be inclusive (e.g., “x and/or y” means one or both x or y). In situations where “and/or” or “or” are used as a conjunction for a group of three or more items, the group should be interpreted to include one item alone, all of the items together, or any combination or number of the items. Moreover, terms used in the specification and claims such as have, having, include, and including should be construed to be synonymous with the terms comprise and comprising.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions, such as those expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, etc. used in the specification (other than the claims) are understood as modified in all instances by the term “approximately.” At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter recited in the specification or claims which is modified by the term “approximately” should at least be construed in light of the number of recited significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or any and all individual values subsumed therein. For example, a stated range of 1 to 10 should be considered to include and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or individual values that are between and/or inclusive of the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less (e.g., 5.5 to 10, 2.34 to 3.56, and so forth) or any values from 1 to 10 (e.g., 3, 5.8, 9.9994, and so forth).

Claims

1. An archery bow, comprising:

a riser having an offset riser portion the riser having a vertical center plane that divides the riser into right and left sides when the archery bow is positioned upright and ready for use;

a bowstring;

a stabilizer secured to the offset riser portion, the stabilizer being positioned on the riser offset from the vertical center plane.

2. The archery bow of claim 1 wherein the vertical center plane is a weighted center plane that divides the riser into equal weight right and left sides when the archery bow is positioned upright.

3. The archery bow of claim 1 wherein the riser includes a handgrip, and further comprising a stabilizer mount positioned on the offset riser portion vertically below the handgrip when the archery bow is positioned upright.

4. The archery bow of claim 3 wherein the stabilizer mount is connected to a side surface of the riser.

5. The archery bow of claim 1 further comprising a cable guard secured on one side of the riser, and the stabilizer is secured to an opposite side of the riser.

6. The archery bow of claim 1 further comprising a stabilizer mount secured to the offset riser portion of the riser to which the stabilizer is mounted, and at least one accessory supported by the riser, the stabilizer being arranged and configured to at least partially offset an imbalance in the archery bow created by the at least one accessory.

7. An archery bow comprising:

a riser having an offset riser section;

limbs extending from the riser;

a bowstring extending between the limbs;

a stabilizer mounted to the offset riser section and extending forward from the riser, the stabilizer being offset laterally from a vertical weighted centerline of the archery bow when the archery bow is positioned upright and ready for use.

8. The archery bow of claim 7, wherein the vertical weighted centerline is aligned with a plane extending through the bowstring, limbs and riser.

9. The archery bow of claim 7, wherein the riser includes left and right side surfaces when the archery bow is positioned upright, and the stabilizer is mounted to one of the left and right side surfaces of the offset riser section.

10. The archery bow of claim 7, wherein the offset riser section includes a stabilizer mounting aperture configured to mount the stabilizer to the riser.

11. The archery bow of claim 7, further comprising a stabilizer mount connected to the riser and configured to support the stabilizer.

12. An archery bow stabilizer assembly, comprising:

a stabilizer mount configured for direct attachment to a side surface of an offset portion of an archery bow riser, the stabilizer mount being offset from a vertical center plane of the archery bow riser when the archery bow riser is positioned upright and ready for use;

a stabilizer releasably mounted to the stabilizer mount.

13. The archery bow stabilizer assembly of claim 12, wherein the stabilizer is configured to offset weight imbalances in the archery bow riser.

14. The archery bow stabilizer assembly of claim 12, wherein the stabilizer mount is configured for attachment to the archery bow riser with a plurality of fasteners.

15. The archery bow stabilizer assembly of claim 12, wherein the stabilizer mount includes a threaded bore sized to receive a threaded shank of the stabilizer.

16. A method of stabilizing an archery bow, comprising:

providing an archery bow, having a riser with an offset riser portion, and a stabilizer;

mounting the stabilizer to the offset riser portion of the riser of the archery bow so that the stabilizer is mounted directly to the riser in a manner that is laterally offset from a vertical weighted center plane when the archery bow is in an upright position ready for use, the stabilizer extending in a forward direction.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing at least one accessory and mounting the at least one accessory to the archery bow, the stabilizer compensating for at least some imbalances in the archery bow imposed by the at least one accessory.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the archery bow includes a riser, limbs mounted to the riser, and a bowstring extending between the limbs, and the vertical weighted center plane extends through the riser, limbs and bowstring.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the archery bow includes a riser having a handgrip, and the vertical weighted center plane extends through the handgrip.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein mounting the stabilizer includes connecting the stabilizer to a right side surface or a left side surface of the archery bow when the archery bow is in an upright position ready for use.