Rearward-Mounted Sight for a Bow

Info

Publication number: 20140130786
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 12, 2013
Publication Date: May 15, 2014
Inventors: Jeremy Hall (Columbia, TN), Troy Gentry (Franklin, TN)
Application Number: 14/077,818

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are a rearward-mounted bow sight for use with a bow, such as a compound bow, a bow having a rearward-mounted sight, and a method for mounting a bow sight rearwardly of a bow's riser. The bow has a front side facing away from a user of the bow and a rear side closer to the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in a shooting position. The bow sight includes a front side and a rear side, such that when the sight is mounted on the bow's riser, the front side of the sight housing is facing the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in the shooting position, and the rear side of the sight housing is facing away from the user of the bow in the shooting position.

Description

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a non-provisional application and claims priority benefit, with regard to all common subject matter, of earlier-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/725,313, filed Nov. 12, 2012, and entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR AN IMPROVED BOW SIGHT AND MOUNT.” The identified earlier-filed provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the invention are directed to an apparatus, system, and method for an improved bow sight and mount. In particular, embodiments of the invention are directed to a bow sight that is mounted rearwardly of a riser of a bow, such that the bow sight is positioned closer to the user when the user is shooting the bow.

2. Related Art

Bow sights are conventionally mounted to a riser of a bow, such as a compound bow, and forward of the riser, such that the sight extends away from the user when the user is in the shooting position. The user then uses the bow sight, and sight pins mounted within the bow sight, to sight-in a target. Some users will also use a peep sight located on the bow string to further assist in sighting-in the target. The peep sight is a circular tab providing a peep hole that the user will look through and align with a pin in the sight during aiming. To improve aiming, some designs replace the peep hole with a fixed aperture on the bow's riser. The aperture extends rearwardly of the sight and is used in place of the peep hole, such that the user aligns the aperture with the pins in the bow sight during aiming.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

Embodiments of the invention are a rearward-mounted bow sight for use with a bow, such as a compound bow, a bow having a rearward-mounted sight, and a method for mounting a bow sight rearwardly of a bow's riser. The bow has a front side facing away from a user of the bow and a rear side closer to the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in a shooting position. The bow sight of embodiments of the invention broadly comprises a sight housing and a mounting bracket. The sight housing includes a front side and a rear side, such that when the sight is mounted on the bow's riser, the front side of the sight housing is facing the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in the shooting position, and the rear side of the sight housing is facing away from the user of the bow in the shooting position. The sight housing comprises a sight guard and at least one sight pin positioned within the sight guard. The mounting bracket is configured to mount the bow sight on the bow's riser. The mounting bracket includes a longitudinally-extending mounting arm coupled to the sight housing at a generally 90 degree angle to the sight housing. When mounted to the bow's riser, the longitudinally-extending mounting arm extends away from the rear side of the sight housing, such that the sight is mounted on a rear side of the bow closer to the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is rear perspective view of a bow having a rearward-mounted bow sight of embodiments of the invention mounted on said bow;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the bow sight illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the bow sight illustrated in FIG. 1.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Embodiments of the invention comprise a bow sight 10 for mounting to a rear side of a bow 12, such as a compound bow, a bow having a rearward-mounted sight, and a method of mounting a bow sight to a rear of a bow. The bow 12 illustrated in the Figures is a compound bow. However, it is to be appreciated that the rearward-mounted sight of embodiments of the invention may be used with a variety of bow types, including recurve bows, reflex bows, self bows, straight bows, longbows, and composite bows. Therefore, reference to a compound bow herein is not intended to be limiting. Moreover, a single-cam compound bow is described herein, but it should be appreciated that different types of compound bows also could be used with embodiments of the rearward-mounted bow sight of the invention.

The compound bow 12 broadly comprises a body 14 including a top limb 16, a bottom limb 18, and a riser 20 vertically spaced between the top and bottom limbs 16,18 and integrally formed with said limbs; a buss cable 22; an idler wheel 24 and a cam 26 connecting the buss cable 22; a bow string 28; a laterally-extending cable rod 30; and a grip section 32 on the riser 20. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the buss cable 22 and bow string 28 face towards a user when the user is shooting the bow 12. The user will place their hand (for a right-handed user, the user will place their left hand) on the grip section 32 on the riser 20. The user will steady an arrow (not shown) against the bow string 28, pull the bow string towards the user with the user's right hand (if the left hand is otherwise gripping the grip section 32), and then release the bow string 28 to shoot the arrow. A whisker biscuit (not shown) may be used to steady the arrow while preparing to shoot. Additionally, the bow 12 may include an arrow rest (not shown) for holding one or more arrows on the bow and easily accessible to the user. The compound bow of FIG. 1 is intended to illustrate primary features of a bow that can be used with the bow sight 10 of embodiments of the invention, but as may be appreciated, the bow may include other accessories or structure, such as dampeners to limit vibration, silencers to limit the sound of the bow string being drawn, a peep hole on the bow string to provide more accurate shooting, etc.

Embodiments of the invention provide a bow sight 10 that is rearwardly mounted relative to the bow 12. As noted above, when in the shooting position, the buss cable 22 and bow string 28 face the user. The bow riser 20 is positioned away from the user. As used herein, the term forward (or front) or derivations thereof is intended to define a direction away or distal from the user, and the term rearward (or back) or derivations thereof is intended to define a direction towards or proximate the user. In FIG. 1, the forward direction is identified by the area F, and the rearward direction is identified by the area R. As can be appreciated, forward and rearward directions or areas are with respect to the bow 12 but are also explained here relative to the user for reference.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the bow sight 10 of embodiments of the invention is shown. FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the bow sight 10 as viewed by the user when shooting the bow 12, and FIG. 3 illustrates a rear view of the bow sight 10, which faces away from the user when the user is shooting the bow 12. The bow sight 10 broadly comprises a sight housing 34 and a mounting bracket 36. The sight housing 34 includes a mounting section 38 to which the mounting bracket 36 is coupled, as described in detail below, and a sight guard 40. The sight guard 40 laterally extends from the mounting section 38 of the sight housing 34, as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, the mounting section 38 of the sight housing 34 is generally block shaped and includes a graduated elevation scale 42, an elevation knob 44, a graduated windage scale 46, a windage knob 48, a threaded opening 50 for receipt of a light (not shown), and a front open access section 52. As is known, the elevation and windage scales 42,46 are used to sight-in a target. The respective elevation and windage knobs 44,48 turn threaded bolts 54 that, when turned, allow for targeting based on an elevation or windage. The scales 42,46 are graduated and include a plurality of tick marks 56, as best illustrated in FIG. 3. Also shown in FIG. 3, at a top end of the sight housing 34, the threaded opening 50 is provided for the user to insert a light (not shown). Referring to FIG. 2, the front open access section 52 will be described further below.

The sight guard 40 comprises a generally closed perimeter 58 having an opening 60 therethrough so that the user of the bow 12 has a sight line through the sight guard 40. The sight guard 40 may be circular-, trapezoidal-, square-, or rectangular-shaped. The sight guard 40 illustrated in the Figures is generally circular-shaped. Mounted within the sight guard 40 is at least one sight pin 62 (also known as an optic pin) for indicating a distance for aiming purposes. If multiple sight pins 62 are mounted within the sight guard 40, each sight pin 62 may respectively indicate 20 yards, 30 yards, and 40 yards, although the pins are adjustable, and more or less sight points may be mounted within the sight guard or the pins may indicate different yardages. Alternatively, the pins 62 can be moved vertically for obtaining different yardage distances for targeting. Embodiments of the invention provide advantages when aiming and viewing the sight pins, as described in more detail below. In embodiments of the invention, the sight pins 62 are approximately 0.005-0.018 inch in vertical height, approximately 0.007-0.015 inch in vertical height, or approximately 0.010 inch in vertical height.

The sight guard 40 may also include various accessories to assist the user in aiming. For example, the sight guard 40 may include a sight ring 64 that is colored (for example, colored yellow or orange), fiber optics 66 surrounding the sight guard for illuminating the sight pins 62 to assist with aiming at night or at dusk, and a bubble level 68 (see FIG. 2). Additionally, the sight pins 62 may be moved or changed by accessing the open access section 52 of the mounting section 38 of the sight housing 34, as shown in FIG. 2. In particular, a plurality of pin mounts 70 are provided and can be loosened or tightened for moving the pins 62 within the sight guard 40.

The mounting bracket 36 is used to mount the sight 10 on the riser 20 of the compound bow 12, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The mounting bracket 36 broadly comprises a longitudinally-extending mounting arm 72 and a retainer bracket 74. The longitudinally-extending mounting arm 72 is coupled to the sight housing 34, and in particular, the mounting section 38 of the sight housing 34, at a generally 90 degree angle to the sight housing 34, as illustrated in FIG. 3. When the sight 10 is mounted on the riser 20 of the bow 12, the longitudinally-extending mounting arm 72 extends away from a rear side 76 of the sight housing 34, such that the sight 10 is mounted rearwardly of the bow 12, and, in particular, the riser 20 of the bow 12, and closer to the user.

The longitudinally-extending mounting arm 72 includes a forward end 78 for mounting to the bow 12 and a rearward end 80 for coupling with the sight housing 34. The forward end 78 of the mounting arm 72 includes at least one bracket fastener 82 for securing the mounting arm 72 to the bow's riser 20. The bracket fastener 82 comprises at least one screw or bolt 84 threaded through an opening 86 in the mounting arm 72 and into a threaded opening 88 in the bow's riser 20. The user mounts the bow sight 10 to the bow 12 by placing the forward end 78 of the mounting arm 72 against the bow's riser 20, aligning the opening(s) 86 of the bracket fastener 82 of the mounting arm 72 with the opening(s) 88 in the riser 20, and securing and tightening the bolt or screw 84 through the respective openings 86,88.

As noted above, the mounting bracket 36 further includes the retainer bracket 74. Referring to FIG. 3, the retainer bracket 74 is coupled to the mounting section 38 of the sight housing 34 (such as via screws as shown) and is configured for receiving the rearward end 80 of the mounting arm 72. The rearward end 80 of the mounting arm 72 is tined to present a plurality of tines 90 for interfitting with at least one groove 92 on the retainer bracket 74. In particular and as shown in FIG. 3, a top, a middle, and a bottom tine 94,96,98 are provided and are configured to interfit with the groove 92, such that the middle tine 96 is perpendicularly inserted in the groove 92, the top tine 94 perpendicularly overlays a top of the groove 92, and the bottom tine 98 perpendicularly underlays a bottom of the groove 92. The tines 94,96,98 of the mounting arm 72 include a plurality of vertically-aligned openings 100 for receipt of a vertically-oriented locking pin 102 therethrough. Upon interfitting the tines 94,96,98 of the mounting arm 72 with the groove 92 on the retainer bracket 74, the locking pin 102 is inserted through the vertically-aligned openings 100 to secure the mounting arm 72 to the sight housing 34. If the user desires to move the sight housing 34 laterally relative to the fixed mounting arm 72 (it is fixed because it is secured to the bow's riser 20), the user can loosen the windage knob 48 and move the mounting arm 72 laterally along the groove 92.

Embodiments of the invention provide several advantages over known front-mounted bow sights. For example, when a user shoots a bow, it is common for the user to torque the bow due to a poor grip on the riser, drawing the bow string, and other factors. The torqueing or rotation of the bow in turn adversely affects the accuracy of the shot. Although good archers can minimize their torqueing of the bow, some torqueing of the bow is still exhibited. Mounting the sight to the rear of the bow riser lessens the degree to which the sight moves relative to the user's eye, which results in significantly improved accuracy. To be clear, the user may still torque the bow to the same degree. However, because the sight, and specifically, the sight pins, are closer to the user's eye, the user aims more accurately than if the sight is farther away from the user's eye. That is, the movement of the sight is affected less by the torqueing of the bow than a forward-mounted sight.

Other advantages are also obtained from embodiments of the invention. By positioning the sight housing 34 behind or rearward of the bow's riser 20 rather than in front of the riser 20, a majority of the weight of the sight housing 34 is placed in line with the bow's axles, which improves the balance of the bow 12 in the user's hand and in turn assists the user in more accurate aiming. Additionally and as noted above, the sight pins 62 are now much closer to the user's eye. For most average-sized adult users, the sight pins 82 are approximately 8 inches closer to the user's eye. For forward-mounted bow sights, the top two pins are commonly set for 20 and 30 yards, respectively. By moving the pins closer to the user's eye via the rearward-mounted sight 10 of embodiments of the invention, two separate pins to indicate 20 and 30 yards are not required. The top sight pin in the rearward-mounted sight is then configured for aiming from 10-30 yards. This makes sighting-in much easier and faster, which is desirable in situations that require quick and accurate aiming, such as hunting. Moreover, having a single sight pin represent a larger range of distances reduces the possibility of the user selecting the wrong pin for aiming purposes, as may be done in hunting or other situations requiring quick and accurate aiming. As can be appreciated, the specific yardage distances may change based on the pins, the bow, and other aiming conditions. As noted above, the sight pins of embodiments of the invention may have a vertical height of approximately 0.010 inch. Industry-standard size for fiber optic pins is 0.019 inch. By moving the sight pins closer to the user's eye, each sight pin's height can be reduced, which enables the user to aim at a much smaller area of the user's target. Moreover, if the user uses a peep hole or sight, a peep sight having a larger diameter may be user, which will gather more light. This is advantageous in low-light conditions, such as dusk when hunting. Finally, by mounting the sight to the rear of the bow's riser, the sight is better protected than conventional front-mounted bow sights.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described above and with respect to the drawings, it should be appreciated that embodiments of the invention may include additional features than described above. For example, various mounting brackets, including a dovetail design, may be used to rearwardly mount the sight on the bow's riser. Moreover, in embodiments, the sight may be reversibly mounted, so that it can be mounted forward of the bow's riser, as is known, or rearward of the bow's riser, as described herein.

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

Claims

1. A bow sight for mounting on a bow, the bow having a front side away from a user of the bow and a rear side closer to the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in a shooting position, the bow sight comprising:

a sight housing having a front side and a rear side, wherein upon the sight being mounted on the bow, the front side of the sight housing is facing the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in the shooting position, and the rear side of the sight housing is facing away from the user of the bow in the shooting position,

said sight housing including a sight guard, and at least one sight pin positioned within the sight guard; and

a mounting bracket for mounting the sight on a riser of the bow, said mounting bracket including a longitudinally-extending mounting arm,

wherein the longitudinally-extending mounting arm is coupled to the sight housing at a generally 90 degree angle to the sight housing,

wherein the longitudinally-extending mounting arm extends away from the rear side of the sight housing, such that when the sight is mounted on the bow, the sight is mounted on a rear side of the bow closer to the user.

2. The bow sight of claim 1, wherein the sight guard is generally circularly-shaped.

3. The bow sight of claim 1, wherein the sight guard is generally trapezoidal in shape.

4. The bow sight of claim 1, wherein the longitudinally-extending mounting arm includes a forward end for mounting to the bow and a rearward end for coupling with the sight housing.

5. The bow sight of claim 4, wherein the forward end of the mounting arm includes at least one bracket fastener for securing the mounting arm to the bow's riser.

6. The bow sight of claim 5, wherein the bracket fastener is at least one screw threaded through an opening in the mounting arm and into a threaded opening in the bow's riser.

7. The bow sight of claim 5, wherein the mounting bracket further includes a retainer bracket coupled with the sight housing and for receiving the longitudinally-extending mounting arm.

8. The bow sight of claim 7, wherein the rearward end of the mounting arm is tined to present a plurality of tines for interfitting with at least one groove on the retainer bracket.

9. The bow sight of claim 8, wherein the tines of the mounting arm include a plurality of vertically-aligned openings for receipt of a vertically-oriented locking pin therethrough.

10. The bow sight of claim 9, wherein upon interfitting the tines of the mounting arm with the plurality of grooves on the retainer bracket, the locking pin is inserted through the vertically-aligned openings to secure the mounting arm to the sight housing.

11. A bow having a front side away from a user of the bow and a rear side closer to the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in a shooting position, the bow comprising:

a body including a top limb, a bottom limb, and a riser vertically spaced between the top and bottom limbs and integrally formed with said limbs;

a buss cable;

an idler wheel and a cam connecting the buss cable;

a bow string;

a grip section on the riser cables; and

a sight mounted on the riser of the bow, the sight including a housing having a front side and a rear side, wherein the front side of the sight housing is facing the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in the shooting position, and the rear side of the sight housing is facing away from the user of the bow in the shooting position.

12. The bow of claim 11,

wherein the sight housing includes a sight guard and at least one sight pin positioned within the sight guard,

wherein the sight further includes a mounting bracket for mounting the sight on the riser of the bow, said mounting bracket including a longitudinally-extending mounting arm,

wherein the longitudinally-extending mounting arm is coupled to the sight housing at a generally 90 degree angle to the sight housing, and

wherein the longitudinally-extending mounting arm extends away from the rear side of the sight housing, such that the sight is mounted on a rear side of the bow closer to the user.

13. The bow of claim 12,

wherein the longitudinally-extending mounting arm includes a forward end for mounting to the bow and a rearward end for coupling with the sight housing,

wherein the forward end of the mounting arm includes at least one bracket fastener for securing the mounting arm to the bow's riser, and

wherein the bracket fastener is at least one screw threaded through an opening in the mounting arm and into a threaded opening in the bow's riser.

14. The bow of claim 13,

wherein the mounting bracket further includes a retainer bracket coupled with the sight housing and for receiving the longitudinally-extending mounting arm,

wherein the rearward end of the mounting arm is tined to present a plurality of tines for interfitting with at least one groove on the retainer bracket,

wherein the tines of the mounting arm include a plurality of vertically-aligned openings for receipt of a vertically-oriented locking pin therethrough, and

wherein upon interfitting the tines of the mounting arm with the plurality of grooves on the retainer bracket, the locking pin is inserted through the vertically-aligned openings to secure the mounting arm to the sight housing.

15. A method of mounting a bow sight on a bow having a front side away from a user of the bow and a rear side closer to the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in a shooting position, the method comprising:

providing a bow including a body having a top limb, a bottom limb, and a riser vertically spaced between the top and bottom limbs and integrally formed with said limbs, a buss cable, an idler wheel and a cam connecting the buss cable, a bow string, and a grip section on the riser cables;

providing a bow sight configured for mounting on the riser of the bow, the sight including a housing having a front side and a rear side; and

coupling the bow sight to the riser of the bow, such that the front side of the sight housing is facing the user of the bow while the user is holding the bow in the shooting position, and the rear side of the sight housing is facing away from the user of the bow in the shooting position.

16. The method of claim 15,