Flexible Cable Guard with E-Coat for Archery Bows

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cable guards for archery bows are rigid and inflexible, leading to cam lean, limb twist, and excessive cable wear, which affects shot precision and accuracy, and are prone to noise and complex assembly due to sliding movements.

Innovation Solution

A cable guard that can flex to move relative to the bowstring plane, constructed from materials like glass fiber composites or metals, with a contoured shape and designed to provide a controlled degree of flexure, minimizing cam lean and limb twist while reducing cable wear through a low friction bore and e-coated surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If a rigid cable guard is used, then cable guidance is effective, but cam lean and limb twist occur due to lateral forces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable guidance stabilityVSAvoidcam alignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cable guard transitions from a rigid structure to a flexible one that can dynamically adjust its position. The flexible cable guard moves laterally in response to cable tension changes during the draw cycle, absorbing lateral forces that would otherwise cause cam lean and limb twist, while maintaining effective cable guidance throughout the motion range.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the mechanical parameter of the cable guard from rigid to flexible. This parameter change allows the cable guard to deform elastically under lateral loads, converting fixed lateral forces into controlled deflections that reduce cam lean and limb twist while preserving cable guidance functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If a flexible cable guard is used, then cam lean and limb twist are minimized, but the cable guard may deflect excessively or break

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecam alignment precisionVSAvoidcable guard durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cable guard is designed as a flexible structural element with controlled flexibility. The flexibility is engineered to provide sufficient movement to minimize cam lean and limb twist, while the overall structure maintains adequate strength and stiffness to prevent excessive deflection or failure under normal operating conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible cable guard provides partial flexibility where needed to reduce cam lean and limb twist, while maintaining rigidity in other areas to ensure durability. The flexibility is applied selectively to the portions of the cable guard that experience lateral forces, rather than making the entire structure flexible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of operation

If a sliding cable guide is used, then cable clearance is achieved, but wear and noise increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable clearanceVSAvoidcable guide durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces the sliding mechanical interface with a flexible structural solution. Instead of a cable guide that slides along the cable creating friction and wear, the flexible cable guard achieves cable clearance through controlled deflection, eliminating the sliding contact that causes wear and noise while maintaining the necessary cable separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Manufacturing precision

If the cable guard cross section is reduced to increase flexibility, then cam lean is reduced, but the cable guard becomes prone to breaking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecam alignment precisionVSAvoidcable guard strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The cable guard employs local quality variations in its cross-sectional geometry to achieve the desired balance between flexibility and strength. Specific portions of the cable guard have reduced cross-sections to provide flexibility for minimizing cam lean, while other portions maintain larger cross-sections to ensure adequate strength and prevent failure under load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The flexible cable guard minimizes cam lean, limb twist, and cable wear, improving shot precision and accuracy, reducing noise, and simplifying assembly by absorbing lateral forces and providing a smooth, durable surface for cable movement.

Implementation Method 1

the inner surface of the bore can be coated with a material that minimizes, and optionally eliminates, potential for abrasion of the cable as the cable moves relative to the bore. For example, the inner surface and/or other surfaces of the cable guard and/or cable guide can be electrocoated (or 'e-coated') with an epoxy material or an acrylic material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrocoating: Electrodeposition

Data Source

PatentUS8784628B2E-coating method for archery bow components

Publication Date: 2014.07.22 GRACE ENGINEERING CORP

AI summary

An archery bow is provided including an archery component such as a cable guard and/or cable guide that includes an e-coat film to minimize wear abrasion on a cable, bowstring or other element. A metal surface of an archery component optionally can be immersed in a bath of charged coating particles, and the metal surface can be caused to have an electrical charge. The charged coating particles can be electrodeposited on the metal surface to provide a coating.