U.S. patent application number 09/745173 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-07 for arrow and arrow wrap.
This patent application is currently assigned to Easy Eye Archery Products. Invention is credited to Coe , Scott A..
Application Number | 20020028718 09/745173 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24995558 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020028718 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Coe , Scott A. |
March 7, 2002 |
ARROW AND ARROW WRAP
Abstract
An arrow and arrow wrap, which is an elongate section of a
plastic film, which may be clear or tinted with a high visibility
color. The elongate section weighs 18 grains or less, has an
adhesive applied to one side of the sheet, and may have a
pre-defined pattern printed on an opposite side of the sheet. The
printed pattern may be of a different color than the color of the
film.
Inventors: |
Coe , Scott A.; ( Allen,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Marcus Dolce
Price, Heneveld, Cooper, DeWitt & Litton
695 Kenmoor S.E.
P.O. Box 2567
Grand Rapids
MI
49501
US
|
Assignee: |
Easy Eye Archery Products
3300 Beck Road
Hillsdale
49242
MI
|
Family ID: |
24995558 |
Appl. No.: |
09/745173 |
Filed: |
December 20, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/586 ;
473/578 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42B 6/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/586 ;
473/578 |
International
Class: |
A63B 065/02 |
Claims
Claims
1. An arrow shaft assembly comprising:a shaft having a first end
for receiving an arrow tip and a second end for receiving a nock;a
wrap circumferentially affixed to an outer circumferential surface
of said shaft towards said second thereof, said wrap comprising an
elongate section of plastic film, said film weighing about 18
grains or less, an adhesive applied to a first side of said film
for bonding said wrap to said shaft; anda plurality of feathers
attached to said second side of said sheet and substantially
aligned with a longitudinal axis of said shaft.
2. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 1 wherein the
thickness of said film is from about 1 to about 3 mils.
3. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 2 wherein the
thickness of said sheet is 2 mils.
4. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 1 wherein said
adhesive is pressure-sensitive.
5. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 4 wherein said
adhesive is adherable to aluminum, wood and carbon fiber composite
materials.
6. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 1 wherein said
plastic film is vinyl.
7. The arrow shaft assembly of claim 1 in which said film is tinted
with a high visibility color.
8. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 7 wherein said high
visibility color is white.
9. The arrow shaft assembly of claim 1 which includes a pre-defined
pattern printed on said second side of said film, said pattern
being of a different color than the color of said film.
10. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 9 wherein said
printed pattern is at least one stripe.
11. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 9 wherein said
printed pattern is pre-defined logo.
12. The arrow shaft assembly of claim 9 wherein said printed
pattern is thermally printed into said film.
13. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 1 wherein said
elongate section is approximately one and one-third inches wide and
between about 5 to about 10 inches long.
14. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 13 wherein said
elongate section is 7 inches long.
15. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 1 wherein said wrap
weighs between about 5 to about 18 grains.
16. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 15, wherein said
wrap weighs approximately 10.6 grains.
17. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 15 wherein the
thickness of said film is from about 1 to about 3 mils.
18. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 17 wherein said
adhesive is pressure-sensitive.
19. The arrow shaft assembly of claim 18 in which said film is
tinted with a high visibility color.
20. The arrow shaft assembly of claim 18 which includes a
pre-defined pattern printed on said second side of said film, said
pattern being of a different color than the color of said film.
21. The arrow shaft assembly of claim 20 wherein said pattern is
thermally printed into said film.
22. The arrow shaft assembly according to claim 21 wherein said
elongate section is approximately one and one-third inches wide and
from about 5 to about 10 inches long.
23. An arrow wrap comprising:an elongate section of plastic film
tinted with a highly visible color, said elongate section weighing
about 18 grains or less;an adhesive applied to one side of said
sheet; and a pre-defined pattern printed on an opposite side of
said sheet, said pattern being of a different color than the color
of said film.
24. The arrow wrap according to claim 23 wherein the thickness of
said sheet is from about1 to about 3 mils.
25. The arrow wrap according to claim 24 wherein the thickness of
said sheet is 2 mils.
26. The arrow wrap according to claim 23 wherein said adhesive is
pressure-sensitive.
27. The arrow wrap according to claim 26 wherein said adhesive is
adherable to aluminum, wood and carbon fiber composite
materials.
28. The arrow wrap according to claim 23 wherein said polymeric
film is vinyl.
29. The arrow wrap according to claim 23 wherein said high
visibility color is white.
30. The arrow wrap according to claim 23 wherein said printed
pattern is at least one stripe.
31. The arrow wrap according to claim 23 wherein said printed
pattern is pre-defined logo.
32. The arrow wrap assembly of claim 23 wherein said printed
pattern is thermally printed into said film.
33. The arrow wrap according to claim 23 wherein said elongate
section is approximately 1.32 inches wide and from about 5 to about
10 inches long.
34. The arrow wrap according to claim 33 wherein said elongate
section is 7 inches long.
35. The arrow wrap according to claim 23 wherein said wrap weighs
between about 5 to about 18 grains.
36. The arrow wrap according to claim 35 wherein said wrap weighs
approximately 10.6 grains.
37. The arrow wrap assembly according to claim 35 wherein said
adhesive is pressure-sensitive.
38. The arrow wrap assembly of claim 37 which includes a
pre-defined pattern printed on said second side of said film, said
pattern being of a different color than the color of said film.
39. The arrow wrap assembly of claim 38 wherein said pattern is
thermally printed into said film.
40. The arrow wrap assembly according to claim 39 wherein said
elongate section is approximately one and one-third inches wide and
from about 5 to about 10 inches long
Description
Background of Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of archery, and
especially to arrows used in bow hunting.
[0002] Hunting arrows typically comprise a shaft made of
lightweight aluminum, wood or carbon fiber tubing. The shaft
generally has a camouflage coating so that the arrow is not readily
noticeable by a deer or other game being hunted. However, the
camouflage coating also makes the arrow difficult for the hunter to
see after he has shot the arrow at the desired game.
[0003] To improve the visibility of the arrow to the hunter, the
tail of the arrow shaft is usually dipped in a white or other
easily visible color. The rear portion of the arrow shaft is
painted for a distance of about 5 to 10 inches in order to make the
arrow more visible to the hunter as it travels through the air.
This also makes the arrow easier to find after it has landed.
Sometimes one or more stripes are painted circumferentially around
the tail, over the white or other color paint so that a hunter can
distinguish his arrows from those of fellow hunters.
[0004] One problem in the production of such arrows is that the
paint area of the shaft corresponds to the area of the shaft to
which the fletching or feathers are attached. The paint must be
allowed to dry for several days before the feathers can be attached
to the tail. This is time-consuming, and therefore adds to the cost
of production of the arrows.
[0005] Another disadvantage of dipping the tail of the shaft in
paint is that it adds a great deal of weight to the arrow. If
dipped to a distance of 7 inches, the paint adds about 23 grains to
the weight of the arrow. At 9 inches, the paint adds 32 grains to
the weight. It is desirable to avoid adding such weight, in order
that the arrow may travel faster and truer.
[0006] One company briefly sold a solid color reflective wrap that
can be applied to the arrows. It weighed from 24 - 30 grains with a
thickness of 10 mils and a length of about 71/2 inches. It is
believed that this experiment was abandoned, and therefore is not
prior art.
Summary of Invention
[0007] In the present invention, a strip of brightly colored vinyl
having pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side is wrapped around
and thereby applied to the tail of the arrow. Preferably, the wrap
includes pre-printed markings to facilitate identification and
visibility.
[0008] The present invention makes it possible to immediately
adhere fletching to the wrap. There is no need to wait for days
before applying the fletching. Another advantage is the ability to
print markings on the wrap, including, for example, the name of the
store selling the arrows or the like, as well as visibility
enhancing markings.
[0009] Preferably, the wrap has a weight of between about 5 and
about 18 grains, such that the arrow is lighter than it would be if
the tail were dipped in paint.
[0010] These and other features, advantages and objects of the
present invention will be further understood and appreciated by
those skilled in the art by reference to the following
specification, claims and appended drawings.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0011] Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of an arrow shaft on which
a wrap according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
has been attached with the arrow feathers attached to the outer
surface of the wrap;
[0012] Fig. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the arrow
shaft of Fig. 1;
[0013] Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment wrap
showing the wrap as a flat rectangle with the cresting preprinted
thereon;
[0014] Fig. 4 is a cross section of the flat wrap of Fig. 3
illustrating the layers of material comprising the wrap.
Detailed Description
[0015] For purposes of description herein, the terms "upper,"
"lower," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical,"
"horizontal," and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention
as oriented in Fig. 1. However, it is to be understood that the
invention may assume various orientations and step sequences,
except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be
understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in
the attached drawings, and described in the following specification
are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined
in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other
physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed
herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims
expressly state otherwise.
[0016] Turning to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show a rear portion
of an arrow 10 and Figs. 3 and 4 show a wrap 20 for arrow portion
10, which is one of the preferred embodiments of the present
invention, and illustrates its various components.
[0017] An arrow shaft 12, most easily seen in Figs. 1 and 2 has a
first end (not shown) which is adapted to receive an arrowhead (not
shown) and a second end 13 at the rear of shaft 12. A nock 14 is
attached to end 13 of arrow shaft 12. Nock 14 serves to receive the
bow string of a bow which when released by a hunter propels the
arrow forward toward an intended target. Arrow shaft 12 is
typically constructed from thin aluminum tubing or from thin carbon
fiber composite tubing with circumferences ranging from 17 to 26
millimeters. The weight of an arrow is preferably as light as
possible, since the release velocity of the arrow is inversely
proportional to the arrow weight when the hunter releases the
arrow. A lighter arrow travels at a greater velocity than a heavier
arrow. In turn, a higher velocity arrow will travel a greater
distance and fly truer than a heavier arrow thereby improving a
hunter's accuracy. Since a hunter must approach his game at
relatively close distance prior to attempting a shot, visibility of
the arrow is also a concern of the hunter. Therefore, the arrow
shafts are generally produced with a camouflage color and pattern
to reduce visibility of the arrow by the game and also result in
difficulty in finding a previously shot arrow by the hunter. The
preferred embodiment described herein addresses these weight and
visibility concerns.
[0018] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a wrap 20 is elongate in
configuration with a length substantially greater than its width.
Since arrow shafts range between 17 to 26 millimeters in
circumference, the width of wrap 20 is approximately one and
one-third inches, more preferably 1.32 inches. This width permits
the wrap to be affixed to the arrow shaft with an adequate overlap
thereby eliminating gaps between ends of the wrap, and one size
wrap can be used for all standard commercially available arrow
shafts of varying circumferences. The length of the wrap 20 is 5 to
10 inches and most preferably 7 inches long.
[0019] Wrap 20 is fabricated from a thin plastic film 21 and
includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating 24 applied on a
bottom surface. Adhesive coating 24 adheres both to plastic film 21
and to aluminum, wood or carbon fiber composites, which are the
primary materials utilized to fabricate arrow shafts such as shaft
12. In the preferred embodiment, plastic film 21 is vinyl having a
thickness of 1 to 3 mils, and most preferably a thickness of 2
mils. Most preferably the vinyl is 3M"s high performance 220 vinyl,
although any equivalent or similarly thin adhesive coated film can
be utilized.
[0020] The selected film is preferably as thin as possible to add
minimum weight to the arrow. At the preferred width of film 21,
wrap 20 has a weight between 1 to 2 grains per inch of length, and
most preferably 1.2 grains per inch. The total weight of wrap 20 is
between about 5 to about 18 grains and most preferably has a total
weight of approximately 10.6 grains.
[0021] Film 21 can be clear, or can be tinted a bright or highly
visible color. In the preferred embodiment the film is colored
white to highly contrast with the camouflaged arrow shaft 12. A
pre-determined design can be thermally printed into film 21 from
its top surface 23 and is located proximate to one end of film 21.
A digital thermal printer is used, which thermally transfers the
desired pattern or legend from a color foil, and impregnates the
pattern or legend into the vinyl wrap. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate two
parallel stripes 22 printed on film 21, however, any pattern,
design or logo can be printed thereon to aid in the visibility of
the arrow or to particularly identify the arrows to which the wrap
20 is applied to aid in identification of arrow ownership. Stripes
22 are also typically of a highly visible color that is different
than the color of film 21. Similarly, wording can be printed on the
wrap, as for example the name of a particular archery shop or the
like.
[0022] In use, and referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an arrow 10 is
assembled by taking an arrow shaft 12 and affixing a nock 14 to end
13 of the shaft. A desired color configuration wrap 20 is applied
proximate to end 13 of shaft 12 by aligning the long dimension of
wrap 20 with the longitudinal axis of shaft 12 and with stripes 22
positioned opposite from end 13 of shaft 12. Wrap 20 adheres to
shaft 12 and wrap 20 is wrapped around shaft 12 allowing adhesive
24 to contact shaft 12. The width of wrap 20 results in the overlap
of the long sides of wrap 20 thereby totally covering shaft 12 in
the area where wrap 20 is applied. Feathers 16 are attached to
outer surface 23 of wrap 20 by applying a suitable adhesive to the
underside of rib 17 of feather 16, aligning feather 16 in its
preferred position just forward of end 13 and affixing to outer
surface 23. Since wrap 20 does not require drying or curing time as
normally experienced with painting, the complete arrow 10 can be
assembled at the one time thereby contributing to the efficiency of
manufacturing without requiring a substantial cure time before
final assembly.
[0023] The above description is considered that of the preferred
embodiments only. Modifications of the invention will occur to
those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the
invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown
in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative
purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
* * * * *