Mechanical guns and projectors – Element – For archery projector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-15
2001-02-13
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Mechanical guns and projectors
Element
For archery projector
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186135
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shock absorbing bow stabilizer that is mounted to an archery bow, for one reason to reduce recoil, shock, vibration and noise when an arrow is shot from the archery bow. More specifically, this invention relates to a shock absorbing bow stabilizer having a sealing device mounted with respect to a removeably mounted plug, preferably made of a resiliently deformable material, to sealably contain a liquid and/or a solid within a chamber of a hollow body of the shock absorbing bow stabilizer.
2. Description of Related Art
Various bow stabilizers and vibration dampeners have been developed to both balance and absorb shock when an arrow is shot from an archery bow. These conventional bow stabilizers generally have a hollow cylinder filled either with a viscous fluid or solid particles to attenuate vibration when an arrow is shot from an archery bow. For example, one conventional bow stabilizer has a hollow body that defines a sealed chamber that is partially filled with granular solids. The bow stabilizer is mounted to the archery bow and has a counterweight that is fixedly adjustable along a longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow body. The hollow body has two end plugs, each end plug having a connecting portion connected to a plug portion. The connecting portion has a peripheral knurled surface to secure the end plug to the hollow body of the bow stabilizer. The end plugs are typically press fitted to the hollow body to contain the granular solids within the hollow body.
Disadvantages associated with the conventional bow stabilizers include leakage of the liquid or solid from the hollow cylinder due to inadequate sealing at the end plugs, the inability to remove end plugs to fill the chamber or to replace the end plugs, and a decrease in bow stabilizer performance, for example as a result of a change in climate. For example, a fluid viscosity may change as the temperature changes, resulting in a decrease in bow stabilizer performance and in bow accuracy.
There is an apparent need for a bow stabilizer having a hollow body forming a chamber to contain a fill and a removeable plug that adequately closes an opening of the hollow body to sealably contain the fill within the chamber.
It is also apparent that there is a need for a sealing device to enlarge or change the shape of a resiliently deformable plug positioned within an opening of a hollow body to close the opening and sealably contain fill within a chamber of the hollow body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a sealing device for a bow stabilizer to sealably contain a fill within a chamber of a hollow body of the bow stabilizer.
It is another object of this invention to provide a structure or other means for deforming a resilient plug and thereby enlarging an outer surface of the removeably mounted resilient plug, to sealably close an opening in a hollow body of the bow stabilizer.
It is another object of this invention to provide a bow stabilizer having a sealing device mounted with respect to a deformable and resilient plug for closing the at least one opening and sealably containing a fill within a chamber of the hollow body.
The above and other objects of this invention are accomplished with a bow stabilizer for an archery bow having a hollow body, preferably constructed of a suitable, lightweight, rigid material which resists corrosion and deterioration.
At least a portion of the hollow body forms one or more chambers, at least one of which is at least partially filled with a solid and/or a liquid. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, a plug is removeably mounted within each opening of the hollow body to close each opening and sealably contain the fill within the chamber. In one preferred embodiment, the plug is made of a resiliently deformable material that is deformed when a compression force is applied to at least a portion of the plug but preferably returns to its initial shape when the compression force is removed. At least a portion of the hollow body has one or more peripheral grooves at or near the opening to better seal the plug with respect to the hollow body.
The bow stabilizer preferably has a sealing device removeably mounted with respect to the plug, within the at least one opening. The sealing device has two opposing plates forming opposing contact surfaces which are selectively moveable in a direction towards each other or in a direction away from each other.
In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the sealing device has a threaded member, such as a screw, which is rotatably mounted within a bore formed by the plug and mateably engageable with threads of an internally threaded bore of the first plate of the sealing device which is preferably fixed with respect to the first plug. The threaded member also preferably passes through a non-threaded bore in the second plate. As the threaded member is rotated in a first direction, the first plate and the second plate move towards each other, compressing and thus deforming an inner portion of the plug which is positioned within the opening of the hollow body and located between the first plate and the second plate. As the inner portion of the plug is compressed, a given area of the outer surface of the inner portion is enlarged and the inner portion moves radially outward towards and contacts an inner surface of the hollow body to tightly close or seal the plug with respect to the hollow body and sealably contain the fill within the chamber, preventing the fill from leaking through the opening. To remove the plug from the opening of the hollow body, the threaded member is rotated in a second direction, which is preferably opposite the first direction. The first plate and the second plate of the sealing device then move in a direction away from each other and the resilient plug returns to its initial shape.
The plug of this invention can be used to retrofit conventional bow stabilizers, for example to replace a damaged or worn plug that allows the fluid or solid to leak from a conventional bow stabilizer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4570608 (1986-02-01), Masterfield
patent: 5016602 (1991-05-01), Mizek
patent: 5511533 (1996-04-01), Waller
patent: 5584282 (1996-12-01), McDonald
patent: 5735257 (1998-04-01), Walk
Harwath Frank A.
Mizek Robert S.
New Archery Products Corp.
Pauley Petersen Kinne & Fejer
Ricci John A.
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