On-off lighted archery arrow nock apparatus

• US 6,123,631 A
• Filed: 08/09/1999
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jeffery Allen Ginder
• Original Assignee: Jeffery Allen Ginder
• Inventors: Ginder, Jeffery Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ricci, John A.
• Application Number:
  US09/370,279
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 362/253, 473/570, 473/578, 473/FOR 216
• US Class Current: 473/570
• 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 12/382 emitting an electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser beam or infrared emission
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/06 Tail ends, e.g. nocks, fletching

Abstract

On shooting of archery arrows, there is extreme difficulty in following the flight of an arrow, and further difficulty in finding the spent arrow. To obviate the above difficulties disclosure is made of apparatus assembly of an LED light bulb connected to a battery through a single pole switch, and the LED light bulb butting up to the bottom of the arrow nock and the assembly attached to the fletched end of an arrow and the string of the bow opening the single pole switch to "off" when the arrow is in position for shooting, and on shooting the arrow from the bow the single pole switch is in a closed, or on, position to energize the LED light bulb to give off light through the nock, and as part of the apparatus there is a nock protective cap, and a tongue inside of the protective cap, and the nock protective cap on placing over the apparatus nock and the tongue extending to the single pole switch contact opens the switch to turn to "off".

Claims

1. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, said arrow nock mounted to a tubular metal arrow shaft, said apparatus comprising:

a--an LED light bulb;

b--a switch comprising single pole switch contacts mounted in a slot of said nock, said switch contacts biased into contact with each other so the switch is normally in the "closed" or "on" position;

c--a battery;

d--an assembly of said LED light bulb and said single pole switch contacts mounted in said nock slot;

said battery electrically connected to said single pole switch and to said LED light bulb;

e--said LED light bulb of said assembly butting up to the base of said nock;

f--said battery of said assembly extending into a battery holder pocket containing a compression spring to butt up to an end of said battery, and;

g--said battery holder of said assembly connected to the fletched end of said tubular metal arrow shaft.

2. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 1, wherein:

a--the positive pole of said battery connects to one lead of said LED light bulb;

b--the negative pole of said battery connects to an electric contact lead of one of said single pole switch contacts and,

c--a contact lead from the other contact of said single pole switch extends to the LED remaining contact lead to energize the LED light bulb.

3. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 1, wherein:

a--said switch is moved to open position on separating said switch contacts by a bow string, on mounting of said apparatus attached to said arrow onto a bow.

4. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 1, wherein:

a--said nock is made of transparent or translucent plastic compound.

5. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 1, wherein:

a--said nock is molded of transparent or translucent, plastic material selected from the group consisting of nylon, polycarbonate, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

6. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 1, wherein:

a--said contacts in said nock slot of said arrow are changed to open switch position by a bow string fitting between said contacts in said nock slot of said arrow on mounting said archery arrow in a bow.

7. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 1, wherein:

a--a ferrule loins said nock to a fletched end of the shaft of the arrow.

8. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 1, further comprising:

a--a nock protective cap which can be placed over said nock and,

b--a tongue in said nock protective cap extending downward into said nock to separate contacts of said single pole switch to open said switch.

9. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 8, wherein:

a--said nock protective cap is made of transparent or translucent plastic material selected from the group consisting of nylon, polycarbonate, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

10. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, of claim 1, further comprising:

a--a battery holder pocket shoulder on said battery holder pocket

b--said battery holder pocket inserted up to said battery holder pocket shoulder into the fletched end of a tubular hollow metal arrow shaft, or a ferrule connecting to a solid arrow shaft.

11. Apparatus for controlled lighting of an archery arrow nock, said arrow nock mounted to a tubular metal arrow shaft, said nock having a slot having an open end and a base end, said apparatus comprising:

a plunger mounted in the base end of said nock slot, said plunger having an outer end having an LED light bulb visible through said nock slot, and an inner end connected to a micro switch;

a battery holder, containing a battery, mounted in said arrow shaft;

said battery electrically connected to said switch and said LED light bulb;

means to normally bias said plunger to a first position toward the open end of the nock slot;

said switch being in the "closed" or "on" position when said plunger is in said first position, thus completing a circuit between the battery and LED to illuminate the LED;

such that when the arrow is mounted onto an archery bow, the presence of a bow string within the nock slot will push the plunger inward toward a second position, said switch being in the "open" or "off" position when the plunger is in the second position, thus de-energizing the LED.