Archery bow sight

Abstract

An electronically lighted bow sight is provided which may be attached to conventional bows. The bow sight includes a main body having a circular passageway in which are located multiple sight pins. The main body may be adjusted vertically and horizontally. The ends of the sight pins are illuminated by an archer turning a knob at the top of the main body of the bow sight. A battery powered LED illuminates a plurality of fiber optic elements extending down to the ends of the sight pins. The fiber optic elements are different colors to help the archer distinguish the sight pins.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to the field of archery and more particularly to an archery bow sight having sight or aiming pins. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Archery bow sights utilizing a plurality of sight pins have been known in the art for many years. Typically, these sights utilize a bracket or other mounting structure for mounting the sight to a bow and a plurality of sight pins secured to structure such as a pin plate. The sight pins have aligned ends visible to the archer. The sight is mounted to the bow in a manner so that when the bow is drawn, the archer can look through a peep sight provided in the bow cable and align the tip or end of one of the sight pins attached to the sight with the target. For sights utilizing a plurality of sight pins having their tips vertically aligned, each individual sight pin is typically provided for aiming the bow at a target at a particular distance from the archer. For example, one pin may be positio...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The invention of this application which accomplishes these and other objectives comprises a bow sight which enables an archer to easily and quickly illuminate sight pins of the bow sight for use in low light conditions. The bow sight has three principal components: a mounting bracket, an adjustment rod and a main body which cooperate to enable the main body of the bow sight to be adjusted horizontally or vertically. Additional components of the bow sight include sight pins which extend downwardly into a circular passageway through the main body of the bow sight and set screws which are used to fix the position of the sight pins. Fiber optic elements extend from the ends of the sight pins to a conduit in the main body of the bow sight. The fiber optic elements are illuminated by a light emitting diode (hereinafter “LED”) powered by one or more batteries.

[0010] A plurality of sight pins are secured in the sight pin tracks with fasteners. A plurality of fastener tracks communicate with the pin tracks. Set screws pass through the fastener tracks and may be tightened against the sight pins to secure the sight pins in place or fix their position. Any other type of mechanism for securing the sight pins in place may alternatively be used. Each of the sight pins has a lower pin head which comprises a circular hole. The sight pins are secured or fixed in position with the set screws such that the pin heads or lower ends of the sight pins are fixed at different vertical heights or staggered. This enables an archer to vertically adjust one sight pin and fix it in a position so when this pin head is located on a target a fixed distance away, the bow shoots accurately. Similarly, a different sight pin is fixed so that when its pin head is located on a target at another fixed distance, the bow shoots accurately. Depending on the relevant distances encountered by the archer, the distances for setting of the sight pins may be adjusted accordingly.

[0012] Activation of the LED causes illumination of a plurality of fiber optic elements. Each of the fiber optic elements has a first end which is secured to one of the pin heads of one of the sight pins. Similarly, each of the fiber optic elements has a second end which is located proximate the LED in a conduit in the main body of the bow sight. This conduit in the main body of the bow sight extends between the battery receptacle and the circular passageway of the main body. Each of the sight pins of the bow sight is equipped with a fiber optic element of a different color so that the archer may easily distinguish between sight pins, even in low light conditions.

[0013] In order to illuminate the fiber optic elements to more easily see the pin heads of the sight pins an archer simply needs to rotate the knob on top of the main body of the bow sight. Rotation of this know establishes contact between the threaded stem of the knob, the battery or batteries in the battery receptacle and the LED, thereby activating the LED and illuminating all the fiber optic elements. Because the fiber optic elements are different colors, the archer may easily distinguish between sight pins and place the correct sight pin head on the target depending on the distance between the archer and the target.

Problems solved by technology

One difficulty with such archery bow sights is that the sight pins are commonly horizontally mounted in a manner shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,000,141; 6,508,005; and 5,231,765.

Sight pins mounted in this horizontal manner may obstruct the view of the archer and therefore adversely affect his or her shooting accuracy.

Another difficulty with known bow sights is that during low light conditions, such as early morning or late evening, the archer may have difficulty selecting the correct sight pin to use to aim at the target.

One difficulty with such a complicated system is that the archer must push the button the correct number of times to illuminate the correct fiber optic element, a difficult thing to do with gloves in cold temperatures while sitting in a tree stand.

Another drawback with known archery bow sights is that archery bow sights which are adjustable both vertically and horizontally have multiple parts which must be secured together.

Over time or with repeated use, one or more of these parts or pieces of the archery bow sight may become loose and therefore create vibration and / or noise when an archer takes a shot or releases an arrow.

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