Audible arrow

• US 5,294,131 A
• Filed: 01/30/1992
• Issued: 03/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RDI Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RDI Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Manske, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US07/828,160
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 273/416, 181/141, 181/184, 181/196, 181/198, 181/199, 343/386
• US Class Current: 473/571
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/362 Arrows or darts F42B12/38 takes precedence, having means for implantation, e.g. hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54; arrows or darts in general F42B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/04 Archery arrows F42B6/08, F41B5/06, F42B12/362 take precedence

Abstract

A hunting arrow having a hollow shaft accommodating a sound generator actuated upon impact with a target to aid in finding the arrow. The shaft has one or more slots that function to direct the generated sound. The sound generator includes a piezio electric element and a tone control device that causes the element to emit separate sequential sounds of varying frequencies. An electrical contact mounted on the sound generator maintains continuous electric contact after impact.

Claims

1. An arrow comprising;

an elongated shaft having a chamber, an arrowhead mounted on one end of the shaft, sound generation means operable to generate audible sound signals located within said chamber, the sound generation means being moveable from a first OFF position to a second ON position within the chamber when the arrowhead strikes an object, and power source means located in the chamber supplying energy to the sound generation means when the sound generation means is in the ON position whereby the sound generation means is energized and generates the audible sound signals to facilitate tracking and retrieval of the arrow.

2. The arrow of claim 1 including:

amplification means adapted to amplify the sound signals generated by the sound generation means.

3. The arrow of claim 2 wherein:

the shaft is a tubular shaft having a chamber accommodating the sound generation means, the amplification means including at least one slot in the tubular shaft open to the chamber remote from the sound generation means.

4. The arrow of claim 1 wherein:

the sound generation means includes a sleeve having a passage accommodating the power source means, audible sound generator means mounted on one end of the sleeve adjacent the power source means, the sleeve being moveable from the OFF position to the ON position when the arrowhead strikes the object, the power source supplying energy to the audible sound generator means when the sleeve is in the ON position whereby the audible sound generator means is energized and generates the audible sound signals.

5. The arrow of claim 4 including:

biasing means mounted on the sleeve engageable with the shaft to hold the sleeve in the ON position thereby ensure continuous sound generation.

6. The arrow of claim 4 wherein:

the audible sound generator means comprises sound cell means for generating the sound signals, and tone generation means operable to control the sound signals generated by the sound cell means whereby the sound is intermittent.

7. The arrow of claim 6 wherein:

the sound cell means is a piezio electric element.

8. The arrow of claim 4 including:

stop means secured to the shaft engageable with the sleeve to limit backward movement of the sleeve within the chamber and locate the sleeve in the OFF position.

9. The arrow of claim 1 wherein:

the power source means comprises at least one lithium battery.

10. The arrow of claim 1 including:

insert means mounted on the end of the shaft for accommodating the arrowhead, the insert means having contact means engageable with the sound generation means when the sound generation means is in the ON position enabling the power source to supply energy to the sound generation means.

11. The arrow of claim 10 including:

biasing means mounted on the second generation means engageable with the shaft to hold the sound generation means in engagement with the contact means when the sound generation means is in the second position thereby ensure continuous sound generation.

12. The arrow of claim 10 wherein:

the contact means includes a coil spring.

13. An arrow comprising:

an elongated tubular shaft having an inner chamber, the shaft having a forward end and a rear end, an arrowhead mounted on the forward end, means for generating audible sound signals located within the chamber, the means for generating audible sound signals comprising a sleeve having a passage, battery means located within the passage, audible sound generator means mounted on one end of the sleeve adjacent the battery means, the sleeve being moveable from a first position to a second position when the arrowhead strikes an object with a predetermined force, the battery means providing electric power to the audible sound generator means when the sleeve is in the second position whereby the audible sound generator means is energized and generates the audible sound signals to facilitate tracking and retrieval of the arrow.

14. The arrow of claim 13 including:

amplification means adapted to amplify the sound signals generated by the audible sound generator means, the amplification means including a plurality of slots open to the chamber adjacent the rear end of the shaft.

15. The arrow of claim 14 wherein:

the slots are circumferentially spaced relative to each other.

16. The arrow of claim 14 wherein:

at least one slot has a length different from the lengths of adjacent slots.

17. The arrow of claim 13:

including biasing means mounted on the sleeve engageable with the shaft to hold the sleeve in the second position thereby ensure continuous sound generation.

18. The arrow of claim 13 wherein:

the audible sound generator means comprises sound cell means for generating the sound signals, tone generator means operable to control the sound signals generated by the sound cell means whereby the sound signals are intermittent.

19. The arrow of claim 18 wherein:

the sound cell means is a piezio electric element.

20. The arrow of claim 13 including:

conductive means mounted on an end of the sleeve opposite the audible sound generator means, and insert means mounted on the forward end of the shaft for accommodating the arrowhead, the insert means having contact means engageable with the conductive means when the sleeve is in the second position enabling the battery means to supply electric power to the audible sound generator means.

21. The arrow of claim 20 including:

biasing means mounted on the sleeve engageable with the shaft to hold the conductive means in engagement with the contact means when the sleeve is in the second position thereby ensure continuous sound generation.

22. A locating apparatus for an arrow having a tubular shaft with a chamber, and an arrowhead mounted on one end of the shaft, comprising:

impact actuated means for generating audible sound signals adapted to be located within the shaft, the impact actuated means being moveable from an OFF position to a ON position within the shaft when the arrowhead hits an object thereby causing the audible sound to be generated, biasing means mounted on the impact actuated means engageable with the shaft to hold the impact actuated means in the ON position thereby ensuring continuous sound generation, and means for amplifying the sound signals generated by the impact actuated means whereby locating the arrow is facilitated.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the impact actuated means includes sound cell means for generating the sound signals, and tone generator means for controlling the sound signals emitted from the sound cell means so that the sound is intermittent and of different frequencies.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein:

the sound cell means is a piezio electric element.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 including:

insert means mounted on the end of the shaft, the insert means including a contact spring engageable with the impact actuated means when the impact actuated means is in the ON position enabling the audible sound signals to be generated.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein:

the biasing means is a U-shaped spring extending from the impact actuated means and engageable with an inner wall of the shaft, the U-shaped spring having a biasing force to hold the impact actuated means in engagement with the contact spring when the impact actuated means is in the second position thereby ensure continuous sound signal generation.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the means for amplifying the sound signals includes a plurality of slots provided in the shaft open to the chamber.