U.S. patent application number 16/487696 was filed with the patent office on 2020-07-23 for automatic bow sight.
This patent application is currently assigned to Roger William Macdonald. The applicant listed for this patent is Roger William Davis Macdonald. Invention is credited to Roger William Macdonald, John Bruce Tait.
Application Number | 20200232764 16/487696 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 63253576 |
Filed Date | 2020-07-23 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200232764 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Macdonald; Roger William ;
et al. |
July 23, 2020 |
AUTOMATIC BOW SIGHT
Abstract
This invention relates to a bow sight and more particularly, but
not exclusively, to an automatic bow sight which is releasably
securable to a bow. The bow finder includes a range finder, a range
finder aiming mechanism for use in assisting to aim the range
finder at a target, a display arrangement including a plurality of
fight sources that can be switched on independently and/or in
combination, and a processor configured to receive information from
the range finder, and to send an actuation signal to the display
arrangement in order for at least some of the light sources to be
selectively switched on.
Inventors: |
Macdonald; Roger William;
(Boksburg, ZA) ; Tait; John Bruce; (Springs,
ZA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Macdonald; Roger William
Davis; Bevan John |
Boksburg, GT
Germiston, GT |
|
ZA
ZA |
|
|
Assignee: |
Macdonald; Roger William
Boksburg, GT
ZA
Davis; Bevan John
Germiston, GT
ZA
|
Family ID: |
63253576 |
Appl. No.: |
16/487696 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2018 |
PCT Filed: |
February 21, 2018 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB18/51046 |
371 Date: |
August 21, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41G 1/473 20130101;
F41G 1/30 20130101; F41G 1/467 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F41G 1/467 20060101
F41G001/467; F41G 1/30 20060101 F41G001/30; F41G 1/473 20060101
F41G001/473 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 21, 2017 |
ZA |
2017/01323 |
Claims
1. An automatic bow sight including: a range finder suitable for
determining a range to a target; a range finder aiming mechanism
for use in assisting to aim the range finder at a target; a display
arrangement including a plurality of light sources that can be
switched on independently and/or in combination; and a processor
configured to receive information from the range finder, and to
send an actuation signal to the display arrangement in order for at
least some of the light sources to be selectively switched on.
2. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 in which the range finder
aiming mechanism is in the form of a laser guide which is aligned
with the range finder in order to provide, in use, a visual
indication of a focal point of the range finder.
3. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 in which the range finder
aiming device is in the form of a laser beam used by the range
finder to range a target.
4. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 in which the range finder,
laser guide, processor and display arrangement are securable to a
bow.
5. The automatic bow sight of claim 4 including a housing
configured for housing the range finder, laser guide, processor and
display arrangement, the housing being releasably securable to the
bow.
6. The automatic bow sight of claim 5 in which the housing includes
a sight window for housing the display arrangement, a range finder
and laser guide enclosure located operatively above the sight
window, and a processor enclosure operatively adjacent the sight
window.
7. The automatic bow sight of claim 6 in which the display
arrangement includes a display element from which light emanating
from the light source is in use reflected towards the archer.
8. The automatic bow sight of claim 7 in which the display element
is in the form of a layer of transparent material that is
orientated at an angle relative to a line of sight of the archer
and relative to a bow plane.
9. The automatic bow sight of claim 8 in which the display element
is inclined at an angle of between 40 and 50 degrees relative to
the bow plane.
10. The automatic bow sight of claim 9 in which the display element
is inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the
bow plane.
11. The automatic bow sight of claim 8 in which the light sources
are located operatively towards the side of the display element, in
order for light emitted from the light sources to be, in use,
reflected in the direction of the user.
12. The automatic bow sight of claim 11 in which the light sources
are located in a vertical sidewall of the sight window.
13. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 in which the light sources
are in communication with the processor located in the processor
housing adjacent the sight window.
14. The automatic bow sight of claim 13 in which the light sources
are mounted on a PC board of the processor, and light emitted from
the light sources is projected into the sight window though slots
and/or apertures located in a sidewall of the sight window.
15. The automatic bow sight of claim 14 in which the light sources
may include an array of vertically spaced apart LED's which can be
used to project an aiming dot onto the display element.
16. The automatic bow sight of claim 15 in which the light sources
also includes a combination of seven segment LED's than can be used
to project numerals onto the display element.
17. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 including a magnification
lens for magnifying the view through the sight window.
18. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 including a receiving
formation suitable for releasably receiving a magnification
lens.
19. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 in which the processor
includes a memory module for storing a plurality of pre-set
shooting programs to enable a user to choose one of the pre-set
programs when the bow is sighted.
20. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 including an inclinometer
and/or accelerometer for use in determining the inclination of the
bow, which information may be fed to the processor for further
processing.
21. The automatic bow sight of claim 1 including a levelling
instrument for assisting in ensuring that the bow is held in a
vertical orientation.
Description
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a bow sight and more particularly,
but not exclusively, to an automatic bow sight which is releasably
securable to a bow.
[0002] A bow sight is an accessory that is typically mounted on a
riser of a bow, and which assists an archer with aiming, and in
particular in adjusting the trajectory of an arrow over longer
distances. Bow sights greatly increases accuracy and consistency,
and there has accordingly been significant development of bow
sights in recent times.
[0003] One type of basic bow sight comprises a plurality of pins
that, in use, protrude from the riser of the bow, with each pin
being associated with a particular distance. The distances are
established during the shooting in or sighting of the bow. When an
archer wants to take a shot, the distance to the target is
estimated, and the relevant pin is used as an aiming aid.
[0004] Range finders are commonly used to determine the distance to
a target, and in some cases are also attached to the riser of the
bow. A user can then accurately determine the range of the target,
and use such determination to select the correct shooting pin. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,528 comprises a bow sight with a range
finder attached thereto, as well as a means of reading and
displaying the range to the target which then allows the archer to
decide which shooting pin to use, without having to first range the
target with a separate ranging device.
[0005] There have been many attempts to automate bow sights so that
adjustments and selections are done automatically, and without the
potential for significant user error. Existing systems of this
nature typically share the common denominators of a range finder
being mounted on a bow, and the output from the range finder being
used by a processor to determine a correct aiming pin or other
aiming device.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,921 discloses an archery range finder
sight comprising a housing affixed onto the bow, and a bow sight
element employing a number of sight pins vertically spaced above
one another and mounted on the housing. A number of LED's or lamps
are mounted on the housing so as to be visible to the archer when
aiming the bow. Once the target has been ranged one of the lamps
becomes illuminated to indicate the range to target, and the bow is
aimed using and shot according to a respective one of the sight
pins associated with the particular LED. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No.
6,073,352 discloses the use of a range finder on a bow that would
activate a LED for a measured distance. Light from the LED is then
transmitted via an optic fiber to highlight the corresponding
shooting pin. In both the above one would require a plurality of
shooting pins, which have been previously been shot in and
adjusted. A disadvantage of these sights is that they include a
plurality of shooting pins that protrudes into the sight window of
the sight, which then obscures the target and accordingly adversely
impact on the ease and accuracy of aiming.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 8,276,282 sets out to at least partially
overcome this shortcoming by introducing an automatically
adjustable shooting pin, the position of which is adjusted (for
example by way of a stepper motor) in response to an input signal
received from a range finder. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 8,166,962
also makes use of an adjustable shooting pin. While U.S. Pat. No.
8,276,282 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,166,962 disclose automatic bow sights
that have a shooting pin arrangement with limited visual
interference, the adjustable shooting pin is in the form of a
mechanically driven and actuated pin, which results in reduced
reliability in the often arduous hunting conditions. Ingress of
dust and moisture can, for example, adversely impact on the
actuator. The mechanisms are also prone to significant wear due to
the presence of moving parts, and can also be noisy, which is
obviously not ideal in the hunting environment. Finally, even
though the visual obstruction is less than that encountered with
conventional multi-pin sights, there is still a pin that protrudes
into the field of view of a user, even though only the tip of the
pin is actually required for the purposes of aiming.
[0008] Other examples of automated bow sights use LCD displays (or
other similar displays) instead of shooting pins. U.S. Pat. No.
7,614,156 discloses a bow-mounted sight with range finder and data
storage means, and which uses a range-finding device to range, and
with the ranged data will set cross hairs in the correct shooting
position making use of a LCD display. U.S. Pat. No. 6,952,881
discloses a programmable sighting system for a hunting bow, which
makes use of a LCD display to project an image on a see-through
lens and call the process (HUD) heads up display. The display
displays various shooting information to the archer, which will in
turn assist the archer in estimating a range to the target, but
this system does not include any automated ranging functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,316,551 discloses an auto-correcting bow sight. The
bow sight is similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,614,156
and 6,952,881, except that in this case the display is one of
either transparent LCD, transparent OLED, Transparent FSTN, or a
LED array positioned vertically and horizontally in the sight
window, as well as a matrix of optic fibers that carry light from
LED's.
[0009] U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,316,551, 7,614,156, 6,073,352 and 4,894,921
all disclose an automatic bow sight, using a range finder,
processor and accelerometer to range a target, process the
information and present a shooting indicator. The method of
displaying the shooting indicator (pin) is one of using either
LED's (Light emitting diodes), see through or transparent LCD's,
(Liquid crystal display), OLED's (Organic Light emitting diodes),
FSTN's (Fast supertwist nomatic) or even optic fiber meshes or
networks coupled to LED's to display the shooting pin and or
numeric shooting information. The problem with using any of these
transparent displays is that, although they can work in low light
conditions, there usability is seriously compromised in sunny
conditions, an effect which is for example also apparent when using
on cell phones and other electronic displays. A further shortcoming
of the proposed bow sights is that the presence of LED's or optic
fibers positioned directly in the display area or sight window will
obscure the view of the archer in much the same way as what is
experienced with shooting pins, as discussed above.
[0010] Another significant problem associated with existing
automatic sights is that it is often very difficult to ensure that
the range finder is focused on a correct target. For example, the
archer may think that the range finder is ranging a buck, but the
range finder may actually be focused on, and hence ranging, a rock
or a bush behind the buck. This is because the range finder is
mounted on the bow, and is not used in a normal handheld
configuration where the eye of the user is in close proximity of
the range finder. In other applications where range finders are
often used, for example golf or rifle hunting, this issue does not
arise, because there is no issue with using a range finder which
requires a user to aim the reticle at the target, and which
therefore require the eye of the user to be located immediately
adjacent an eyepiece of the rangefinder.
[0011] In all the automatically adjusted bow sights mentioned above
making use of a rangefinder, the method of ranging the target is to
line up the peep at full draw of the bow with some sort of marker
or cross hair positioned on the sight. The marker and range finder
are said to be pre-aligned in the assembly process. A first
disadvantage of this methodology is that all archers do not have
the same draw. If an archer has a longer or shorter draw than
another, or positions his peep higher or lower than another, the
angle from the peep to the marker will differ, and this could cause
the archer to inaccurately range an object either behind or in
front of the intended target, causing him to either wound or
totally miss the target. A further disadvantage is that with this
this methodology ranging can only take place at full draw. This is
a disadvantage as unnecessary movement and/or drawing the bow
raises the risk of chasing the animal while hunting.
[0012] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an
automatic bow sight that will, at least partially, alleviate the
above disadvantages.
[0013] It is also an object of the invention to provide an
automatic bow sight which will be a useful alternative to existing
automatic bow sights.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] According to the invention there is provided a bow sight
including: [0015] a range finder suitable for determining a range
to a target; [0016] a range finder aiming mechanism for use in
assisting to aim the range finder at a target; [0017] a display
arrangement including a plurality of light sources that can be
switched on independently and/or in combination; and [0018] a
processor configured to receive information from the range finder,
and to send an actuation signal to the display arrangement in order
for at least some of the light sources to be selectively switched
on.
[0019] There is provided for the range finder aiming mechanism to
be in the form of a laser guide which is aligned with the range
finder in order to provide, in use, a visual indication of a focal
point of the range finder.
[0020] There is provided for the range finder aiming device to be
in the form of a laser beam used by the range finder to range a
target.
[0021] There is provided for the range finder, laser guide,
processor and display arrangement to be securable to a bow, and
more particularly to a riser of a bow.
[0022] In one embodiment there is provided for the laser guide and
the range finder to be part of the same device, with the visible
laser used for aiming also being the source used for ranging.
[0023] There is further provided for the automatic bow sight to
include a housing configured for housing the range finder, laser
guide, processor and display arrangement, the housing being
releasably securable to the bow.
[0024] The housing may include a sight window for housing the
display arrangement, a range finder and laser guide enclosure
located operatively above the sight window, and a processor
enclosure operatively adjacent the sight window.
[0025] A further feature of the invention provides for the display
arrangement to include a display element from which light emanating
from the light source is reflected toward the archer.
[0026] The display element is preferably in the form of a layer of
transparent material that is orientated at an angle relative to a
line of sight of the archer.
[0027] The line of sight of the archer may be defined by an axis
protruding perpendicularly from the sight window of the bow
sight.
[0028] A bow plane may be defined as a plane that extends through
the middle of a riser and upper and lower limbs of the bow. There
is provided for the display element to be inclined relative to the
bow plane. An angle of inclination may be between 30 and 60
degrees, preferably between 40 and 50 degrees, most preferably 45
degrees.
[0029] There is provided for the light sources to be located
operatively towards the side of the display element, in order for
light emitted from the light sources to be, in use, reflected in
the direction of the user. The light sources may be located in a
vertical sidewall of the sight window.
[0030] The light sources may be in communication with the processor
located in the processor housing adjacent the sight window.
[0031] More particularly, the light sources may be mounted on a PC
board of the processor, and light emitted from the light sources
may be projected into the sight window though slots and/or
apertures located in a sidewall of the sight window.
[0032] The light sources may include an array of vertically spaced
apart LED's, more particularly micro LED's, which can be used to
project an aiming dot onto the display element.
[0033] The light sources may also include a combination of seven
segment LED's than can be used to project numerals onto the display
element. There is also provided for text to be displayed in
addition to numerals, but this will not necessarily be the
case.
[0034] A further feature of the invention provides for the bow
sight to include a magnification lens for magnifying the view
through the sight window.
[0035] There is also provided for the housing to include a
receiving formation suitable for releasably receiving a
magnification lens.
[0036] A further feature of the invention provides for the
processor to include a memory module for storing a plurality of
pre-set shooting programs to enable a user to choose one of the
pre-set programs when the bow is sighted.
[0037] In one embodiment of the invention the bow sight may also
include an inclinometer and/or accelerometer for use in determining
the inclination of the bow, which information may be fed to the
processor for further processing.
[0038] In one embodiment of the invention that bow sight may also
include a levelling instrument, preferably a spirit level, for
assisting in ensuring that the bow is held in a vertical
orientation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0039] A preferred embodiment of the invention is described by way
of a non-limiting example, and with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:
[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an archer using a bow
being fitted with a bow sight in accordance with one embodiment of
the invention;
[0041] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the bow sight in
accordance with the invention;
[0042] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the bow sight of FIG.
2;
[0043] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the bow sight in use; and
[0044] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional top plan view of the bow sight
of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0045] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangement
of components set forth in the following description or illustrated
in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in
various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including,"
"comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to
encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as
well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise,
the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled" and
variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and
indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings and are
thus intended to include direct connections between two members
without any other members interposed therebetween and indirect
connections between members in which one or more other members are
interposed therebetween. Further, "connected" and "coupled" are not
restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
Additionally, the words "lower", "upper", "upward", "down" and
"downward" designate directions in the drawings to which reference
is made. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned
above, derivatives thereof, and words or similar import. It is
noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims,
the singular forms "a," "an," and "the," and any singular use of
any word, include plural referents unless expressly and
unequivocally limited to one referent. As used herein, the term
"include" and its grammatical variants are intended to be
non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the
exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to
the listed items.
[0046] Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate
like features, a non-limiting example of an automatic bow sight in
accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference
numeral 20.
[0047] The automatic bow sight 20 can be mounted on many kinds of
bows, for example a composite bow as shown in FIG. 1. A composite
bow 10 comprises a riser 11 that holds a grip, and which is also a
middle part of the compound bow 10. A pliable upper limb 12 and a
pliable lower limb 13 extend from the riser 11 and store the energy
that is generated when the bowstring is pulled back. In this
specification, the bow plane 18 is defined as a plane that extends
through the centers of the riser 11, the upper limb 12 and the
lower limb 13 (the bow plane is indicated in FIG. 4). Cams 14 are
attached to the ends of both the lower limb 13 and the upper limb
12 and in use carry the bowstring 15. A sight 16 is provided on the
riser 11 to assist with aiming of the bow, and a corresponding peep
sight 17 is provided on the bowstring 15 allowing the archer in use
to look through the peep sight 17 as well as the sight 16 on the
riser 11.
[0048] In this invention, the conventional sight (not shown) is
replaced with and/or augmented by an automatic bow sight 20, which
is described in more detail hereinbelow.
[0049] The bow sight 20 includes a housing 30 for housing all the
different components of the automatic bow sight 20. The housing 30
includes a sight window 31 inside which a display arrangement 40 is
located. The sight window 31 includes a window opening 31.1 through
which an archer will in use look. The sight window 31 is in the
form of a substantially cylindrical channel having a planar inner
sidewall 31.2. A vertically extending sight window slot 31.3 is
provided in the inner sidewall 31.2, and a further sight window
display opening 31.3 is located operatively above the sight window
slot 31.3. A rangefinder and laser enclosure 33 is located above
the sight window enclosure 31, and is adapted to house a
rangefinder 60 as well as an aiming laser 70. A rangefinder
aperture 33.1 and a laser aperture 33.2 are provided in a front
wall of the rangefinder and laser enclosure 33. The processor
housing 34 is located adjacent the sight window enclosure 31, and
more particularly next to the inner sidewall 31.2 of the sight
window. A vertical slider bracket 35 and a horizontal slider
bracket 36 extend from the housing, and are used to secure the
housing 32 to the bow 10, and more particularly to a riser of the
bow 10.
[0050] A rangefinder 60 is located inside the rangefinder and laser
enclosure 33, with optical elements of the rangefinder 60 being
aligned with the rangefinder apertures 33.1 of the enclosure. A
range finder aiming device, in this embodiment in the form of a
laser emitting device 70, is also located inside the rangefinder
and laser enclosure 33, with the optical element of the laser
emitting device 70 being aligned with the laser aperture 33.2. The
laser emitting device 70 and the rangefinder 60 are factory aligned
in order for the laser to act as a visual guide to ensure that the
rangefinder 60 is used to range the correct object. The laser
emitting device 70 will project a small but very visible dot on the
target, which will tell the user that the correct object is being
ranged. In this embodiment the rangefinder 60 and the laser
emitting device 70 are shown as two independent objects, but it
will be appreciated that they can also be combined into a
structurally single device including both a range finder aiming
device in the form of a laser emitting device 70 and a rangefinder
60 that emits infra-red light. Furthermore, the laser may in itself
also be used as the range finder ranging light source, and the
distance measurement calculated from the reflection of the colour
laser instead of the conventional infra-red light source.
[0051] It will be appreciated that range finders were designed with
military requirements in mind, and have been developed with the
intention of not being visible when in use. Range finders typically
utilize ultra-violet or infrared beams that are aimed at a target
using a pre-aligned reticle. It is therefore not obvious for a
targeting range finder simply to be modified to use a visible light
source, which will still have sufficient energy and visibility in
sunny conditions.
[0052] A display arrangement 40 is located inside the sight window
31 of the scope. The display arrangement 40 includes a display
element 41 in the form of a glass screen that is located inside the
sight window 31. The glass may for example be a 2 mm thick tinted
glass, and may be manufactured with the tint on one side to allow
the clearly projected dot and numeric information to be reflected
back to the archer. The glass screen is located at an angle
relative to a line of sight 19 of a user, and also relative to the
bow plane 18 as defined above. In one embodiment the glass screen
is orientated at an angle (0) of about 45.degree. relative to the
line of sight 19 and the bow plane 18. The effect of the angular
orientation of the glass screen is that a user will still be able
to see through the glass screen when looking along the line of
sight 19, while light emitted by a light source on the side of the
glass screen will be reflected through 90.degree. towards the user,
and will therefore also be visible along the line of sight 19. In
this way reflected information, like an aiming dot 43 or other
numerical information 44, can be superimposed over the actual view
42 as seen by the user.
[0053] The above is achieved by providing a plurality of light
sources 90 at the side of the display element or glass screen 41.
In practice this is achieved by providing at least one light source
90 inside the processor housing 34, and allowing light emitted by
the light source 90 to shine onto the display element 41 through a
sight window slot 31.3 or a sight window display aperture 31.4
provided in the sight window sidewall 31.2. The light will then be
reflected by the oblique display element 41 towards a user. In this
example the light source 90 includes an array of micro-LEDs 91
which will in use display an aiming dot 43 on the display element
41, as well as a number of seven segment LEDs 92 which will in use
display numerical information and possibly also text on the display
element 41.
[0054] A magnification lens 50 may be releasably secured to the
housing 30, and more particularly to an opening 31.1 of the housing
30. The magnification lens 50 will magnify the target, and the
curvature of the magnification lens 50 will be compensated for by
the processor of the bow sight 20.
[0055] A processor 80 is located inside the processor housing 34.
The processor 80 may be in the form of a double sided circuit board
that incorporates a memory module, controller, and other electronic
components which will assist in the processing of information
pertaining to the distance and shooting angle. The processor may
also, but not necessarily, include an accelerometer or
inclinometer, but if this is not present the vertical orientation
of the bow and the resultant change in trajectory will be
mathematically computed and incorporated into the various control
models. An accelerometer or inclinometer is therefore by no means
an absolute requirement for this invention.
[0056] A number of preset programs will be loaded onto the memory
module of the processor. These preset programs are all
pre-designed, and cater for the trajectory of different weighted
arrows and speeds and draw--lengths of the different bows used by
archers. During the sighting process the archer will select a
program that is best suited for his set up, and once tested through
various ranges the program will be stored as the preferred program
for that particular set up. The archer may have several programs
stored for different set ups according to the weight and speed of
the arrows he might be using. These programs can also be viewed and
adjusted, when the bow sight is plugged into a computer, via an
interface program provided. A desired preset program will be
selected during the sighting of the sight.
[0057] It is not foreseen for any real time modelling to be
performed by the processor, and the processor will merely receive a
distance input from the rangefinder 60 and in response will
illuminate the correct light source 90 in accordance with the
preset program that was chosen during the sighting of the sight. No
additional variables, for example the weight, type and dimensions
of a particular arrow, needs to be programmed into the system, as
the processor functions on a preset program selection methodology,
as opposed to an involved real-time calculation methodology. Micro
switches 80.1 are provided on the PC board of the processor and
will be accessible through the cover of the housing 30, thus
allowing one manually to include a range in order to display the
shooting dot 43. This will allow the user to use the sight 20 in
cases where the rangefinder and/or the laser may not be used. As
mentioned above, some of the preset programs will also be
specifically configured to compensate for the effects of curvature
of the magnification lens 50 in cases where such lens is fitted to
the housing 30.
[0058] All electronic components with exception of the micro LED's
and seven segment LED's will be cast in potting compound, firstly
to make the sight water resistant and secondly to help absorb any
shock that may reverberate through the bow. The LED's and seven
segment displays will be potted using a transparent compound.
[0059] A trigger button (not shown) is fastened to the bow handle,
and is electrically connected to the processor by means of a cable
(not shown). The user can activate the button without changing his
hand position on the bow, or finger position on the handle. The
button can furthermore be triggered, and the sight activated,
without the bow being at full draw.
[0060] In use, a user sights the bow using a normal sighting tape
procedure as is well known in the art. Predetermined programs are
created on a computer, and uploaded onto the PC board of the sight
before the sight is sold to a user. Based on the sighting
procedure, one of these predetermined and preloaded programs is
elected that matches the particular archer, bow and arrows used.
Once so sighted and programmed the bow with automatic bow sight is
ready to be used. The user can now aim the bow at a target using
the bow sight, and when the trigger button is pushed the laser will
emit a laser guide light which will be visible on the target. The
rangefinder will then range the particular target, and the user
will know that the correct target is ranged due to the laser guide
and the rangefinder being factory aligned. The rangefinder will
provide a distance to the processor (which is now set on a
predetermined program as per sighting of the bow) and will display
a reflected aiming dot on the oblique screen. At the same time
additional numerical information (such as the actual range) will
also be displayed on the oblique screen. The user can now draw the
bow, and attempt to hit the target. The ranging can of course also
be done whilst the bow is fully drawn, but advantageously this is
not necessary as the rangefinder does not have to be aligned using
the peep of the bowstring like in some other prior art
products.
[0061] The new bow sight is advantageous over the prior are because
it is, inter alia: [0062] fully digital and therefore far more
reliable than other automatic and semi-automatic sights; [0063] the
design is simple to operate in the drawn/undrawn position, and
water proof; [0064] the product will handle reasonable abuse in the
field; [0065] the shooting dot is a very small but clearly visible
blue dot, even in bright outside conditions, giving the archer a
clear view of the target; where other methods because of physical
size or non-clarity obscure the target; [0066] the product is more
compact and substantially lighter than competing devices. The
display in the present invention differs significantly from all the
existing displays in that an array of miniature LED's is used for
the shooting dot, with the LED's being individually driven and
projected onto a tinted oblique glass screen that forms the
display. In addition, surface mounted seven segment LED displays
are also projected onto the same tinted glass. The glass is
positioned at 45 degrees to the LED's and seven segment LED
displays, so as to reflect the shooting dot and numeric shooting
information back to the archer without moving the display off the
target.
[0067] The glass, although tinted, is still about 80% transparent,
allowing the archer to have clear vision of the target, with only a
tiny very visible blue dot being superimposed onto the intended
target. The shooting information is cleared off the display by the
time the archer is ready to take the shot. Reflecting the light
source as per the current design produces a very high quality
display which is visible in any light condition. Having the tinted
glass at 45 degrees also improves the sight in that it does not
reflect any light towards the target, which will be the case in the
other lenses. Also, with the present sight the user can point the
laser at the target and get a range without drawing or loading an
arrow, or if the user wants to he can also take a range at full
draw.
[0068] It will be appreciated that the above is only one embodiment
of the invention and that there may be many variations without
departing from the spirit and/or the scope of the invention. It is
easily understood from the present application that the particular
features of the present invention, as generally described and
illustrated in the figures, can be arranged and designed according
to a wide variety of different configurations. In this way, the
description of the present invention and the related figures are
not provided to limit the scope of the invention but simply
represent selected embodiments.
[0069] The skilled person will understand that the technical
characteristics of a given embodiment can in fact be combined with
characteristics of another embodiment, unless otherwise expressed
or it is evident that these characteristics are incompatible. Also,
the technical characteristics described in a given embodiment can
be isolated from the other characteristics of this embodiment
unless otherwise expressed.
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