Crossbow

• US 20160223285A1
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ravin Crossbows LLC (The Kattegat Trust Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ravin Crossbows LLC (The Kattegat Trust Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yehle, Craig Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,494,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/066 mounted on the bow or crossbow
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/10 Compound bows compound crossbows F41B5/123
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/105 Cams or pulleys for compound bows
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/12 Crossbows
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/123 Compound crossbows

Abstract

A crossbow including first and second cams are mounted to first and second bow limbs, respectively. Each of the cams includes a string guide journal, an upper power cable take-up journal, and a lower power cable take-up journal. The draw string is arranged in a reverse draw configuration. The upper and lower power cables are received in each of the respective upper and lower power cable take-up journals and are displaced away from the respective draw string journals as the bow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration. In one embodiment, the upper and lower power cable take-up journals are helical in configuration. As a result of this configuration the cams can rotate more than 270 degrees, and preferably more than 300 degrees, as the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration.

Claims

1. A crossbow comprising:

first and second flexible limbs attached to a center rail;

a first cam mounted to the first bow limb and rotatable around a first axis, the first cam comprising a first draw string journal having a first plane of rotation perpendicular to the first axis, a first upper power cable take-up journal extending in a direction perpendicular to the first plane of rotation of the first draw string journal, and a first lower power cable take-up journal extending in an opposite direction perpendicular to the first plane of rotation;

a second cam mounted to the second bow limb and rotatable around a second axis, the second cam comprising a second draw string journal having a second plane of rotation perpendicular to the second axis, a second upper power cable take-up journal extending in a direction perpendicular to the second plane of rotation of the second draw string journal, and a second lower power cable take-up journal extending in an opposite direction perpendicular to the second plane of rotation;

a draw string received in the string guide journals and secured to the first and second cams, wherein the draw string unwinds from the string guide journals as it translates from a released configuration to a drawn configuration; and

upper and lower power cables received in the upper and lower power cable take-up journals on each of the first and second cams;

wherein as the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration the upper and lower power cables wrap onto the respective upper and lower power cable take-up journals and are displaced along the first and second axes away from the first and second planes of rotation of the first and second draw string journals.

2. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower power cable take-up journals comprise helical journals that translates the upper and lower power cable away from the first and second cams along the first and second axes, respectively, as the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration.

3. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower power cable take-up journals comprise a width at least twice a width of the upper and lower power cables.

4. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the first and second cams rotate between about 270 degrees to about 330 degrees when the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration.

5. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the first and second cams rotate between about 300 degrees to about 360 degrees when the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration.

6. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the first and second cams rotate more than about 360 degrees when the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration.

7. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein first ends of the upper and lower power cables are attached to power cable attachments extending above upper and lower surfaces of the first and second cams, respectively, wherein the power cable attachments pass under the respective upper and lower power cables as the crossbow moves between the released configuration and the drawn configuration.

8. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein second ends of the upper and lower power cables are connected to attachment points on respective sides of the center rail in a spaced apart configuration such that the upper and lower power cables are generally parallel to each other when the crossbow is in the drawn configuration.

9. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the first and second cams are mounted to the first and second bow limbs, respectively, with first and second axes of rotation offset from distal tips of the bow limbs by about 1.0 inch to about 3.0 inches.

10. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower power cables do not cross over the center rail.

11. A crossbow comprising:

first and second flexible limbs attached to, and extending away from, a center rail;

a first cam mounted to the first flexible limb and rotatable around a first axis, the first cam comprising a first draw string journal having a first plane of rotation perpendicular to the first axis and a first helical power cable take-up journal extending in a direction perpendicular to the first plane of rotation of the first draw string journal;

a second cam mounted to the second flexible limb and rotatable around a second axis, the second cam comprising a second draw string journal having a second plane of rotation perpendicular to the second axis and a second helical power cable take-up journal extending in a direction perpendicular to the second plane of rotation of the second draw string journal;

a draw string received in the first and second draw string journals and secured to the first and second cams, wherein the draw string unwinds from the first and second draw string journals as it translates between a released configuration to a drawn configuration;

power cables received in the first and second helical power cable take-up journals; and

wherein the radial displacement of the first and second cams as the draw string translates between the released configuration and the drawn configuration is greater than 270 degrees.

12. The crossbow of claim 11 wherein as the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration the power cables wrap onto the respective first and second helical power cable take-up journals and are displaced along the first and second axes away from the respective first and second planes of rotation of the first and second cams.

13. The crossbow of claim 11 wherein first ends of the power cables are attached to power cable attachments located on surfaces of the first and second cams, respectively, and the power cable attachments pass under the respective power cables as the crossbow moves between the released configuration and the drawn configuration.

14. The crossbow of claim 11 wherein the power cables do not cross over the center rail.

15. The crossbow of claim 11 wherein the first and second helical power cable take-up journals comprise upper and lower helical power cable take-up journals on each of the first and second cams extending in a direction perpendicular to the respective plane of rotation of the first and second cams.

16. The crossbow of claim 11 wherein the first and second cams rotate between about 270 degrees to about 360 degrees when the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration.

17. The crossbow of claim 11 wherein the first and second cams rotate more than about 360 degrees when the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration.

18. The crossbow of claim 11 wherein the first and second cams are mounted to the first and second bow limbs, respectively, with first and second axes of rotation offset from distal tips of the bow limbs by about 1.0 inch to about 3.0 inches.

19. A crossbow comprising:

first and second flexible limbs attached to, and extending away from, a center rail;

a first cam mounted to the first flexible limb and rotatable around a first axis, the first cam comprising a first draw string journal having a first plane of rotation perpendicular to the first axis and a first power cable take-up journal extending in a direction perpendicular to the first plane of rotation of the first draw string journal;

a second cam mounted to the second flexible limb and rotatable around a second axis, the second cam comprising a second draw string journal having a second plane of rotation perpendicular to the second axis and a second power cable take-up journal extending in a direction perpendicular to the second plane of rotation of the second draw string journal;

a draw string received in the first and second draw string journals and secured to the first and second cams, wherein the draw string unwinds from the first and second draw string journals as it translates between a released configuration to a drawn configuration; and

power cables received in the first and second power cable take-up journals, wherein the first and second power cable take-up journals comprise a width at least twice a width of the power cables;

wherein as the crossbow is drawn from the released configuration to the drawn configuration the power cables wrap onto the respective first and second power cable take-up journals and are displaced along the first and second axes away from the first and second planes of rotation of the first and second draw string journals.