Bow sight

• US 5,634,278 A
• Filed: 09/20/1995
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tommy E. Hefner
• Original Assignee: Tommy E. Hefner, William E. London
• Inventors: London, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Application Number:
  US08/530,873
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 33/265, 33/241, 124/23.1, 124/24.1, 124/87
• US Class Current: 42/132
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/467 for bows

Abstract

A bow sight includes a housing which is mounted on an archery bow and carries electronic circuitry including a series of aligned target LED'"'"'s which may be programmed by an archer to correspond to different respective target distances. The housing mounts a color separating dichroic filter sight glass positioned at an angle between upper and lower housing walls. The LED'"'"'s are positioned to overlay an elongated slot in the top wall so that a lighted LED reflects onto a surface of the glass and may be viewed for sighting a target. Two other LED'"'"'s, one on each side of the target LED'"'"'s, are included in the circuitry and may be programmed to light when the bow is tilted to a selected side-wise position, apertures in the top wall of the housing permitting reflection of each of these LED'"'"'s onto the sight glass. After each target LED have been programmed, the archer may sight through the sight glass and align the reflection of the lighted target LED onto the target.

Claims

1. A sighting device for mounting on an archery bow for aiding an archer to fire an arrow toward a target at a distance from the bow, said device comprising a housing for mounting on the bow, electrical circuit means including an electrical circuit board carried by said housing, said electrical circuit means comprising a source of electrical energy, a plurality of light emitting elements mounted on said circuit board in an aligned array, a tilt sensor connected in said circuit means carried by said housing and having a substantially linear electrical output responsive to angular inclinations of said bow, electrically programmable memory, means for storing in said memory a pre-selected range of values representative of angular inclinations of the bow in a vertical plane extending from said bow toward said target, means for permitting a selective portion of said range of values to be assigned to correspond to each light emitting element selectively and for storing into said memory the selective portion of said range for each corresponding light emitting element, and means responsive to the output of said tilt sensor for comparing the angular inclination of the bow with the portions of the range in said memory to determine the portion of the range corresponding to the angular inclination of the bow and for lighting the light emitting element corresponding thereto.

2. A sighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit includes a plurality of switches, said means for permitting a selective portion of said range to be assigned to each light emitting element comprising means responsive to positions of said switches for selecting one light emitting element at a time to be chosen to correspond to a selective portion of said range.

3. A sighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein there are three switches, a first switch electrically activating and de-activating said sighting device, a second switch having three positions, one of said positions acting to energize and light one of said light emitting elements when said sighting device is electrically activated without regard to the angular disposition of said bow, and a third switch for selecting which light emitting element is chosen to be energized to light when said second switch is in said one of said positions.

4. A sighting device as recited in claim 3, including means for permitting a portion of said range of values to be assigned to a light emitting element chosen to be energized to light when said second switch is in a second position and for permitting said third switch to selectively change the portion of the range of values assigned to the light emitting element chosen when the second switch is in said second position and for permitting the selected portion of the range of values assigned to the chosen light emitting element to be held for storage in said memory, and means for storing in said memory said selected portion of said range of values held for storage when said second switch is in a third position.

5. A sighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing includes upper and lower spaced apart walls, a slot formed in said upper wall, said circuit board being disposed on said upper wall with said array of light emitting elements overlaying said slot, a dichroic filter sight glass having a planar surface disposed intermediate said upper and lower walls below said slot at an angular inclination permitting the archer to view a target through said surface when sighting therethrough, said glass permitting all but one distinct color of visible light to pass therethrough when disposed at said inclination and to reflect said one distinct color on said surface, and said light emitting elements when lighted emitting light of said one distinct color such that a lighted light emitting element may be reflected on said surface and viewed by said archer.

6. A sighting device as recited in claim 5, wherein said electrical circuit includes a plurality of switches, said means for permitting a selective portion of said range to be assigned to each light emitting element comprising means responsive to positions of said switches for selecting one light emitting element at a time to be chosen to correspond to a selective portion of said range.

7. A sighting device as recited in claim 6, wherein there are three switches, a first switch electrically activating and de-activating said sighting device, a second switch having three positions, one of said positions acting to energize and light one of said light emitting elements when said sighting device is electrically activated without regard to the angular disposition of said bow, and a third switch for selecting which light emitting element is chosen to be energized to light when said second switch is in said one of said positions.

8. A sighting device as recited in claim 7, including means for permitting a portion of said range of values to be assigned to a light emitting element chosen to be energized to light when said second switch is in a second position and for permitting said third switch to selectively change the portion of the range of values assigned to the light emitting element chosen when the second switch is in said second position and for permitting the selected portion of the range of values assigned to the chosen light emitting element to be held for storage in said memory, and means for storing in said memory said selected portion of said range of values held for storage when said second switch is in a third position.

9. A sighting device as recited in claim 1, including first and second additional light emitting elements mounted on said circuit board spaced laterally from said array, said array being intermediate said first and second additional elements, means for storing in said memory a selected value representative of an angular disposition of the bow in a tilted plane inclined relative to said vertical plane corresponding to each of said first and second additional elements, and means responsive to the output of said tilt sensor for comparing the angular inclination of the bow in said tilted plane with each of said preselected values to determine if the angular inclination of the bow is equal to either of said preselected values and for lighting the respective first and second additional elements in response thereto.

10. A sighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein said housing includes upper and lower spaced apart walls, a slot formed in said upper wall, first and second apertures formed in said upper wall spaced from said slot, said circuit board being disposed on said upper wall with said array of light emitting elements overlaying said slot and with said first and second additional light emitting elements overlaying a respective one of said first and second apertures, a dichroic filter sight glass having a planar surface disposed intermediate said upper and lower wall below said slot and said apertures at an angular inclination permitting the archer to view a target through said surface when sighting therethrough, said glass permitting all but one distinct color of visible light to pass therethrough when disposed at said inclination and to reflect said one distinct color on said surface, and said light emitting elements when lighted emitting light of said one distinct color such that a light emitting element may be reflected on said surface and viewed by said archer.

11. A sighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein each preselected value is permanently stored in said memory.

12. A sighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein each preselected value may be selectively stored in said memory.

13. A sighting device as recited in claim 10, wherein each preselected value is permanently stored in said memory.

14. A sighting device as recited in claim 10, wherein each preselected value may be selectively stored in said memory.

15. A method of accurately firing an arrow from an archery bow toward a target at a distance from the bow, said method comprising providing a sighting device having an electrical circuit including a plurality of aligned light emitting elements, selecting one of said light emitting elements to light when said arrow is fired a first distance from said bow, storing in an electrically programmable memory corresponding to said one of said light emitting elements a value equal to the angular disposition of said bow in a vertical plane providing said first distance, repeating said selecting and said storing for each of the other light emitting elements in seriatim to store in said memory respective angular disposition values corresponding to respective distances, viewing the target through a sight glass on which a reflection of said light emitting elements may be seen when any of said light emitting elements are lighted, and thereafter aiming at said target and firing said arrow when one of said light emitting elements is seen on said glass in superposed relationship on said target.