Reverse-Pivot Cable Guard for Archery Bows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current archery bow cable guards face limitations in maintaining cable alignment and reducing torque-induced stress, leading to accuracy issues and increased friction, as they either bend towards the riser or introduce inefficiencies with slide mechanisms, causing unnecessary tension and wear.
Innovation Solution
A reverse-pivot or reverse-bending cable guard design featuring a rigid cantilever member with a flexible extension that deflects away from the riser upon drawing, incorporating rollers to guide cables and reduce side loads, allowing the guard to move with the cables and minimize tension-induced moments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a flexible cantilever cable guard is used to hold cables away from the arrow path, then the cables are kept out of the flight path, but the cable guard bends toward the riser under tension causing increased cable tension and unwanted moments on the bow
Solution Approach 1:
The cable guard is designed to bend away from the riser (opposite direction of conventional guards) under cable tension. This inversion causes the guard to move in the same direction as cable displacement during draw, reducing relative motion and minimizing unwanted moments and tension on the riser assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable guard employs a flexible member that dynamically adjusts its position under load. The flexible member allows the guard to bend and follow cable movement during the draw cycle, transforming the static guard into a dynamic system that adapts to changing cable tensions and positions.
2Ease of operation
If rollers are added to reduce friction and vibration, then cable operation is smoothed, but side loads on the rollers increase bearing wear and reduce effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The roller assembly is mounted on a flexible member that allows it to move dynamically with cable displacement. This dynamic mounting reduces side loads on the roller bearings by allowing the roller position to adjust during draw, maintaining better contact with the cable while reducing lateral forces on the bearings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the rollers by allowing their position and orientation to vary during the draw cycle. The flexible member enables the rollers to transition from a fixed-position design to a variable-position design, optimizing their interaction with the cable under different tension conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a slide mechanism is used to allow cable translation, then cables can move along the guard, but the slide introduces friction, increases moving parts, and creates larger unfavorable moments on the bow
Solution Approach 1:
The complex slide mechanism is replaced by extracting only the essential function of cable translation. The flexible member with mounted rollers provides cable movement capability without the complexity of a full slide mechanism, eliminating unnecessary moving parts and friction points while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible member (thin film/strip) is used to provide the translation capability instead of a rigid slide mechanism. This flexible element allows cable movement through its natural flexibility and roller mounting, simplifying the structure while maintaining the ability to accommodate cable displacement during draw.
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
This design reduces tension on the cables, minimizes torque-induced stress, and enhances accuracy by allowing the cable guard to move with the cables, reducing friction and wear, while maintaining effective cable alignment and reducing noise.
Implementation Method 1
The guide portion may comprise at least one roller wheel configured to contact and roll along the at least one cable
Implementation Method 2
The distal end of the first cantilever member may be configured to deflect away from the at least one cable upon drawing the bow
Implementation Method 3
The proximal end of the second cantilever member may be configured to deflect away from the riser upon drawing the bow
Data Source
AI summary
A compound archery bow having a reverse-pivot cable guard, wherein the cable guard has a first cantilever member connected to a riser at a proximal end and extending away from the riser at a distal end and a second cantilever member attached to the distal end of the first cantilever member and extending back toward the riser. The proximal end of the second cantilever member retains a bow cable such that when the bow is drawn, the second cantilever member flexes toward the plane of arrow flight and the bowstring and away from the riser. This design may reduce stresses on the cable guard, reverse torque on the riser, and improve cable life, among other benefits.