Collapsible Bow Holder Carriage for Quiet Hands-Free Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bow holders for hunting and archery activities are cumbersome, noisy, or require significant movement, potentially alerting game and creating trip hazards, while not allowing for a hands-free operation.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible bow holder with a vertically disposed plate member and foldable u-shaped carriage, featuring a v-block to secure the bow's cam and a release catch for silent operation, allowing the bow to be worn on the user's belt for hands-free use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bow is set down onto the ground or platform, then the bow can be released hands-free, but the bow must be retrieved and positioned to shoot which requires significant movement that can alert game
Solution Approach 1:
The bow holder carriage is pre-positioned on the user's back in a ready state before hunting begins. The bow is already secured in the carriage at the optimal shooting angle, eliminating the need for retrieval and repositioning movements during critical moments when game is sighted.
Solution Approach 2:
The bow holder system is self-retaining through the v-block geometry and friction-based carriage design. The bow remains securely held in the carriage without requiring active user intervention or movement to maintain position, enabling true hands-free operation while scanning for game.
2Ease of operation
If hook style products are used to hold the bow, then the bow can be retained hands-free, but the products protrude from trees or mounts and require the user to move to free the bow
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the user move their body to access the bow as with tree-mounted hooks, the bow holder carriage is inverted and positioned on the user's own back. This brings the bow within immediate reach of the user's hands without requiring body movement or repositioning.
3Ease of operation
If ground-mounted holders are used, then the bow can be retained hands-free, but the holders present trip hazard and require movement when the user moves
Solution Approach 1:
The bow holder carriage is nested within the user's body configuration by being worn on the back. This integrates the bow holder into the user's personal space rather than placing it in the external environment where it could create trip hazards for the user or other hunters.
4Ease of operation
If back slings for bows are used, then the bow can be retained hands-free, but significant movement is required to bring bows forward when needed
Solution Approach 1:
The bow holder carriage is positioned vertically on the user's back rather than horizontally at the rear like traditional slings. This vertical positioning places the bow in closer proximity to the user's hands and changes the dimensional relationship, reducing the distance and time required to access the bow when needed.
5Ease of operation
If front body-mounted bow holders are used, then the bow can be accessed easily, but the holders create noise when used or present partial solutions where the bow cannot be released hand-free
Solution Approach 1:
The carriage member is constructed with sound-dampening materials and features polymer-covered surfaces at contact points. The v-block and carriage interfaces are designed with friction-based retention that operates silently, eliminating the metallic clicking or sliding noises associated with traditional mechanical bow holders.
Data Source
AI summary
A hands-free bow holder has a collapsible bow holder carriage designed to open to hold an archery bow. The bow holder has a vertically disposed plate member designed to be attached to a belt member. A foldable, substantially u-shaped carriage member is pivotally coupled to the plate member and is designed to hold the bow at a lower cam of the bow when the carriage member is in an open state, substantially perpendicular to the plate member. The carriage member is folded substantially parallelly to the plate member when closed. Included is a vertically disposed v-block member wherein a concave portion of the v-block member is outwardly facing to retain the cam of the bow. The v-block member is further designed to restrain side-to-side movement of the bow. A release catch is designed to releasably retain a string member of the bow wherein the bow will be retained hands-free.