Abstract
A protective cover for hunting arrow heads stored in an archery quiver, the protective cover having an outer case and an inner unit, the outer case being hollow with a solid top, four solid sides, and an open bottom, and the inner unit having a rigid base and a plurality of cylindrically-shaped, flexible filaments. The base has a planar bottom surface, the top end of each of the filaments is connected to the bottom surface of the base. Each filament extends perpendicularly downward from the bottom surface of the base when arrow heads are not inserted into the protective cover, and each filament is configured to flex away from its perpendicular orientation when an arrow head is inserted into the protective cover and exerts lateral force on the filament.
Claims
1. A protective cover for hunting arrow heads stored in an archery quiver, the protective cover comprising an outer case and an inner unit, the outer case being hollow and comprised of a solid top, four solid sides, and an open bottom, the inner unit comprised of a rigid base and a plurality of cylindrically-shaped, flexible filaments; wherein the outer case is manufactured so as to be watertight on the top and sides; wherein the base has a planar bottom surface, each of the plurality of flexible filaments has a top end, and the top end of each of the filaments is connected to the bottom surface of the base; wherein each filament extends perpendicularly downward from the bottom surface of the base when arrow heads are not inserted into the protective cover, and each filament is configured to flex away from its perpendicular orientation when an arrow head is inserted into the protective cover and exerts lateral force on the filament; wherein material composition, filament dimensions and filament spacing are configured to produce filaments having a flexibility that results in a force requirement of about six to 16 ounces to fully insert a broadhead arrow head into the plurality of filaments; and wherein each arrow head comprises a blade with a rear edge; wherein the filaments are configured within the protective cover so that when an arrow head is inserted into the protective cover, the rear edge of the blade is positioned above a lower end of the filaments, thereby completely embedding the rear edge of the blade within the plurality of filaments; and wherein each blade comprises a tip; wherein each blade has a length; wherein each filament has a length, and all of the filaments have the same length; wherein the plurality of filaments within the protective cover are configured so that the tip of the blade does not contact the base when an arrow is installed within the protective cover; and wherein the length of the filaments is greater than the length of the blades.
2. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein each of the filaments has a diameter and a length, the diameters of the filaments are substantially identical, and the lengths of the filaments are substantially identical.
3. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein each of the filaments has a modulus of elasticity in a range of about (510.sup.8) to (510.sup.9) Newtons per square meter (N/m.sup.2).
4. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein each of the filaments has a minimum yield strength of about (110.sup.7) N/m.sup.2.
5. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the filaments are arranged in staggered rows and columns, and wherein each row of filaments is laterally offset from an adjacent row.
6. An archery quiver comprising the protective cover of any of claims 1-5.
7. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the outer case further comprises a pair of mounting holes that are configured to attach the protective cover to a quiver; wherein each filament has a lower edge; and wherein the mounting holes are positioned below the lower ends of the filaments.
8. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein each filament has a diameter and an axis that is separated from the axes of adjacent surrounding filaments by an inter-axial distance; wherein there is a ratio of the filament diameter to the inter-axial separation distance of the filaments; and wherein the ratio of filament diameter to inter-axial separation distance of the filaments is in the range of 0.25 to 1.0 inch.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the present invention installed on a generic arrow quiver.
(2) FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the present invention showing the top and two sides of the outer case and the inner unit.
(3) FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the inner unit showing the lower surface.
(4) FIG. 4 is a cross-section bottom view of the present invention taken at the section line shown in FIG. 1 and loaded with four arrows.
(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-section side view of the present invention loaded with four arrows, with the section line taken as shown in FIG. 4.
(6) FIG. 6 is a magnified bottom view of a segment of the array of filaments taken at the detail area shown in FIG. 4.
(7) FIG. 7A is a magnified cross-section view of the detail area shown in FIG. 5, illustrating two adjacent filaments that are oriented perpendicularly to the lower surface of the base, in an undeflected position.
(8) FIG. 7B shows the same view of the two adjacent filaments shown in FIG. 7A, but with the filaments deflected by the insertion of an arrow head.
REFERENCE NUMBERS
(9) 1 Protective cover
(10) 2 Arrow
(11) 3 Quiver
(12) 4 Arrow clips
(13) 5 Outer case
(14) 6 Inner unit
(15) 7 Base
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
(16) The present invention is a protective device (and, alternately, a quiver incorporating the protective device described and illustrated herein) that separates and covers the heads of hunting arrows that are placed within a bow-mounted quiver for storage. The present invention comprises an array of flexible polymer fibers or filaments that fit alongside and around the sharp blades of broadhead arrow heads, thereby supporting the arrow heads and securing them into fixed positions without requiring the sharp edges of the blades to be in direct contact with the supporting filaments. This unique structure eliminates some major disadvantages of the prior art caused by the plastic or foam plastic arrow head support materials of the prior art, in particular, dulling of the arrow blades, destructive cutting of the arrow head support materials by the arrow blades, and undesirable noise and excessive friction when removing the arrow heads from the protective covers. The present invention is suitable for use with both fixed-blade and moveable blade broadhead arrows with arrow heads having any number of blades.
(17) FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the present invention installed on a generic arrow quiver. As shown, the present invention is a protective cover 1 that protects the heads of a plurality of arrows 2 that are secured onto a quiver 3 with arrow clips 4. The quiver 3 may be any one of a plurality of commercially available quivers, in which the original protective arrow head cover has been removed and replaced by the protective cover 1 of the present invention, or it may be a quiver in which the protective cover 1 of the present invention has been installed as original equipment during manufacture of the quiver. The arrow clips 4 grip the shafts of the arrows 2 and hold the arrows in fixed positions. The arrow clips 4 (discussed further in relation to FIG. 4) are common to most commercially available quivers and are made in a variety of configurations.
(18) FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the present invention showing the top and two sides. Although the embodiment shown is generally in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped (i.e., rectangular in horizontal and vertical cross sections), other shapes such as round, oval, or non-geometric (irregular) in horizontal cross section are permissible. As shown, the protective cover 1 comprises an outer case 5 and an inner unit 6. The outer case 5 is hollow and is comprised of a solid top, four solid sides, and an open bottom. The inner unit 6 comprises a rigid base 7 and a plurality of flexible filaments 8. The base 7 has a planar (flat) bottom surface. The top end of each of the filaments 8 is connected to the bottom surface of the base 7, and each individual filament 8 is cylindrically shaped. The filaments 8 may be connected to the base 7 by inserting the filaments 8 into holes that are formed (for example, by machining or molding) into the base 7 and then securing the filaments to the base by a friction fit of the filaments 8 within the holes, optionally augmented by heat welding or by gluing. Alternately, the filaments 8 may be heat welded or glued to the flat lower surface of the base 7 without inserting the filaments 8 into holes within the base, or the base 7 and filaments 8 may be manufactured as a single molded unit. The diameters of the filaments 8 are substantially identical, and the length of the filaments 8 are also substantially identical. The filaments are arranged in rows and columns, as described in more detail in reference to FIG. 6. Each filament 8 extends perpendicularly downward (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) from the bottom surface of the base 7 when arrow heads are not inserted into the protective cover 1, but any of the filaments 8 may flex away from its perpendicular orientation when an arrow head is inserted into the present invention and exerts lateral force on the filament (as shown in FIG. 7B).
(19) The outer case 5 and the inner unit 6 are preferably comprised of thermoplastic polymeric material such as polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, or nylon, and they are preferably manufactured by injection molding. The outer case 5 and the inner unit 6 may be manufactured as separate pieces that are assembled after manufacture, or alternately, they may be manufactured as a single injection-molded part. The outer case 5 is manufactured so as to be watertight on the top and sides, thereby minimizing exposure of arrow heads to rain, snow and dirt particles. The filaments 8 may be made from the same thermoplastic polymeric material as the base 7, or they may be made from a different polymeric material if the filaments 7 and base 8 are manufactured as separate parts. In order for the filaments 8 to have suitable flexibility and adequate strength, the filaments 8 preferably have a modulus of elasticity in the range of about (510.sup.8) to (510.sup.9) Newtons per square meter (N/m.sup.2) and a minimum yield strength of about (110.sup.7) N/m.sup.2. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the inner unit 6 showing the lower surface. As shown, the upper end of each of the filaments 8 is attached to the lower surface of the base 7, and the lower end of each filament 8 is unattached to other objects.
(20) FIG. 4 is a cross-section bottom view of the present invention taken at the section line shown in FIG. 1 and loaded with four arrows, illustrating the positioning of four arrow heads 9 that have been inserted into the protective cover 1, wherein each arrow head 9 comprises three sharp blades 10. The arrow heads 9 are inserted into the protective cover 1 by individually pushing each arrow 2 (shown in FIG. 5) vertically upward so that the arrow head 9 is forced between a portion of the filaments 8 of the protective cover 1. The arrows 2 are restrained in position by the arrow clips 4 (shown in FIG. 1), which are comprised of elastomeric material and contain slots that form friction fits around the shaft of each arrow 2.
(21) As illustrated in FIG. 4, when an arrow head 9 has been inserted into protective cover 1, the sharp blades 10 of the arrow head 9 do not rub directly against any of the filaments 8 because flexing of the filaments 8 causes them to deflect away from the sharp edges of the blades 10 when an arrow head is inserted into the array of filaments 8. This is an important distinction between the present invention and examples of the prior art that use plastic or foam plastic to contact or surround the arrow heads because in the prior art, the sharp blades of the arrow heads are in placed in direct contact with the plastic or foam plastic material, resulting in eventual cutting of the material and dulling of the blades. Conversely, with the present invention, the filaments 8 are not damaged, and the blades 10 of the arrow heads 9 are not dulled when the arrow heads 9 are inserted into the protective cover 1. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the material composition, filament dimensions and filament spacing are selected to as to produce filaments having a flexibility that results in a force requirement of about 6 to 16 ounces to fully insert (by pushing on the arrow shaft) a broadhead arrow head into the array of filaments.
(22) FIG. 4 also illustrates that the rotational orientation of the arrow heads 9 is not critical, as long as the blades 10 of each arrow head 9 are separated from the blades 10 of adjacent arrow heads 9 and also separated from the internal walls 11 of the outer case 5. This non-critical orientation feature is an advantage over the prior art of U.S. Pat. No. 7,987,842 and similar patents wherein the arrow heads must be precisely oriented so that the blades fit into precut slots within the foam material. The latter devices require more time and precision to install a set of arrows into a quiver than are required for the present invention, which requires less precise arrow head orientation.
(23) Also shown in FIG. 4 are a pair of optional mounting holes 12 that may be used to attach the protective cover 1 to a quiver. The mounting holes 12 may be machined or molded into the outer case 5 during manufacture; alternately, the mounting holes 12 may be drilled into the outer case 5 after manufacture so as to match corresponding holes that are installed into a particular model of quiver. The protective cover 1 may be attached to a quiver by installing pins, bolts or screws through the mounting holes 12 and into corresponding mounting holes in the quiver (not shown).
(24) FIG. 5 is a cross-section side view of the present invention 1 loaded with four arrows 2, with the section line taken as shown in FIG. 4. As shown, correct insertion of an arrow head into the protective cover 1 is achieved when the rear edge 13 of the blade (the portion of the blade adjacent to the arrow shaft) is inserted to just above the lower end of the filaments 8, thereby completely embedding the rear edge 13 of the blade 10 within the array of filaments 8. Note that the tip 14 of the blade 10 does not contact the base 7 when the arrow 2 is correctly installed because the length L1 of the filaments 8 is selected so as to be greater than the length L2 of the blades 10. The protective cover 1 may be manufactured in various sizes to accommodate various sizes and types of arrow heads, as described in more detail in reference to FIG. 6. As shown, the mounting holes 12 are preferably positioned below the lower edges of the filaments 8 to facilitate mounting and removing the protective cover 1 to and from a quiver.
(25) FIG. 6 is a magnified bottom view of a segment of the array of filaments 8 taken at the detail area shown in FIG. 4. As shown, in the preferred embodiment, the filaments 8 are positioned in staggered rows and columns, wherein each row of filaments is laterally offset from its two adjacent rows as shown in FIG. 6; however, other orientations, such as aligned rows and columns, wherein the filaments in each row are in vertical alignment with the filaments in adjacent rows, are permissible. Also as shown, the axis of each filament 8 is separated from the axes of the closest surrounding filaments 8 by distance D. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention that is suitable for containing four arrow heads with each arrow head having a length of 1-inch and a maximum blade diameter of 1 inch, the outer case 5 has a length of 4 inches, a width of 1 inches, a height of 2 inches, and a wall thickness of the top and sides of inch; and each filament 8 has a length of 1 inch, a diameter of 1/20 inch, and an inter-axial separation distance (D in FIG. 6) of 1/10 inch. In this preferred embodiment, the ratio of the filament diameter to the inter-axial separation distance of the filaments is 0.5 [( 1/20 inch)/ 1/10 inch)]. In other embodiments, the outer case may have a length ranging from about 2 to 8 inches, a width ranging from about 1 to 4 inches, a height ranging from about 1 to 4 inches, and a wall thickness of the top and sides ranging from about to inch; and the filaments may have a length ranging from about to 3 inches, a diameter ranging from about 1/50 to inch, an inter-axial separation distance of about 1/25 to inch, and a ratio of the filament diameter to the inter-axial separation distance of the filaments ranging from about 0.25 to 1.0.
(26) FIGS. 7A and 7B are detail cross-section side views taken at the location shown in FIG. 5 that illustrate the positions and shapes of typical filaments 8. FIG. 7A shows two adjacent filaments 8 that are oriented perpendicularly to the lower surface of the base 7. This is the orientation that occurs when an arrow head is not causing the filaments to deflect from, their normal undeflected positions.
(27) FIG. 7B shows the same view of the two adjacent filaments shown in FIG. 7A, but with the filaments deflected by the insertion of an arrow head, as would occur when the blade of an arrow head (not shown) is pushed between the two filaments. (The magnitude of deflection of the filaments has been exaggerated for clarity in this figure). Due to the elastic properties of the material comprising the filaments 8, the filaments 8 will spring back to their original undisturbed positions (shown in FIG. 7A) when the arrow head is removed.
(28) Although the present invention is described in conjunction with bow-mounted archery quivers, the present invention is also suitable for use in conjunction with other types of quivers, such as tree-stand mounted quivers and over-the-shoulder quivers. Furthermore, although the present invention is described in conjunction with quivers that carry arrows in a vertical position with the arrow heads pointed upward, the present invention is equally suitable for use in conjunction with quivers that carry arrows in any orientation.
(29) Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
