Independent blade retention for blade-opening arrowheads

• US 6,755,758 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Victor Jay Liechty II (Victor Jay Liechty)
• Original Assignee: Victor Jay Liechty II (Victor Jay Liechty)
• Inventors: Liechty, Victor Jay II
• Primary Examiner(s): Ricci, John A.
• Application Number:
  US09/755,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20010006916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,270 Days
• Field of Search: 473/582, 473/583
• US Class Current: 473/583
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/08 Arrow heads; Harpoon heads

Abstract

Blade-opening arrowheads having pivotal blades, wherein each blade is hingedly connected at one blade end to an arrowhead body by a hinge pin. Each blade freely rotates in a plane from a retracted in-flight position to an open position when penetrating an object where the other opposing blade end rotates away from the arrowhead body such that the sharp cutting edges of the blades are exposed at a full cutting diameter when the blades are in the open position. When in the retracted position a blade is securely held selectively adjacent to the arrowhead body by frictional engagement from methods independent of, or not dependent upon, the use of an element or elements in addition to that individual cutting blade, its hinge pin and its blade slot.

Claims

1. A blade-opening arrowhead comprising:

(a) an arrowhead body;

(b) a blade having a first end, an opposing second end, and a pair of planar faces extending from said first end to said second end on Opposing sides of said blade;

(c) a blade receiving slot substantially longitudinally recessed within said arrowhead body, said receiving slot being partially bounded by a sidewall;

(d) hinge means for pivotally connecting said second end of said blade to said arrowhead body to enable said blade to rotate between a retracted position wherein said blade is positioned adjacent to said arrowhead body and an open position wherein said first end of said blade is rotated away from said arrowhead body; and

(e) means for independently retaining said blade selectively in said retracted position so that said blade is independently securely held adjacent to said arrowhead body when in said retracted position and said blade freely rotates into said open position when the arrowhead penetrates an object, said means for retaining consisting essentially of said blade, said blade receiving slot and said hinge means.

2. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 1, wherein said blade comprises a wing outwardly projecting from said first end thereof.

3. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 1, wherein said blade comprises an inner sharpened cutting edge extending at least in part between said first end and said second end of said blade, said inner sharpened cutting edge when said blade is in said retracted position facing toward said arrowhead body.

4. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 1, wherein when said blade rotates from said retracted position to said open position, said blade rotates through and angle greater than 90 degrees.

5. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 1, where in at least one of said blade side faces has an indent or a bump formed thereon.

6. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said blade side faces has a through hole or a cut formed thereon, said through hole or cut being disposed closer to said first end of said blade than to said second end of said blade.

7. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 1, wherein said arrowhead body further comprises a central longitudinal axis, said blade rotating in a plane that is spaced apart from said central longitudinal axis when rotating from said retracted position to said open position.

8. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 1, wherein said arrowhead body comprises an exposed exterior surface, said sidewall of said blade receiving slot adjoining said exterior surface at an outside corner.

9. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 8, wherein at least one of said blade faces engages with said outside corner when said blade is in said retracted position.

10. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 8, wherein at least one of said blade faces has an indent or a bump.

11. A blade-opening arrowhead comprising:

(a) an arrowhead body;

(b) a substantially linear void recessed into said arrowhead body;

(c) a blade receiving slot substantially longitudinally recessed within said arrowhead body, said receiving slot being partially bounded by a sidewall;

(d) a substantially linear hinge pin mounted to said arrowhead body, said hinge pin being disposed at least in part within said void and communicating with said sidewall, said hinge pin being oriented non-perpendicular to said sidewall of said receiving slot; and

(e) a blade having a free first end and an opposing second end with an aperture extending therethrough, said aperture having said hinge pin extending therethrough to enable said blade to rotate between;

(i) a retracted position wherein said blade is positioned adjacent to said arrowhead body; and

(ii) an open position wherein said first end of said blade is rotated away from said arrowhead body.

12. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of said blade side faces has an indent or a bump formed thereon.

13. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 11, wherein said arrowhead body comprises an exposed exterior surface, said sidewall of said blade receiving slot adjoining said exterior surface at an outside corner.

14. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one of said blade faces engages with said outside corner when said blade is in said retracted position.

15. A blade-opening arrowhead comprising:

(a) an elongated arrowhead body having a longitudinal axis;

(b) a blade receiving slot substantially longitudinally recessed within said arrowhead body, said receiving slot being partially bounded by a pair of opposing sidewalls; and

(c) a blade having a first end, an opposing second end, and a pair of planar faces extending from said first end to said second end on opposing sides of said blade, said second end of said blade being hingedly connected to said arrowhead body to enable said blade to rotate in a plane between a retracted position wherein said blade is positioned at least in part within said slot and an open position wherein said first end of said blade is rotated away from said arrowhead body, at least one of said planar faces of said blade when said blade is in said retracted position biasly engaging against at least a portion of at least one of said sidewalls, thereby securely holding said blade by frictional engagement selectively within said receiving slot, the arrowhead when in said retracted position being configured such so as to have no structural entity or entities disposed between a section of a blade face and a section of a slot sidewall as determined in directions outward from the blade faces.

16. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 15, wherein said blade comprises a wing outwardly projecting from said first end thereof.

17. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 15, wherein said blade comprises an inner sharpened cutting edge extending at least in part between said first end and said second end of said blade, said inner sharpened cutting edge when said blade is in said retracted position facing toward said arrowhead body.

18. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 15, wherein when said blade rotates from said retracted position to said open position, said blade rotates through and angle greater than 90 degrees.

19. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of said blade side faces has an indent or a bump formed thereon.

20. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of said blade side faces has a through hole or a cut formed thereon, said through hole or cut being disposed closer to said first end of said blade than to said second end of said blade.

21. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 15, wherein said plane said blade rotates in when rotating from said retracted position to said open position is not parallel to at least one of said slot sidewalls.

22. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 15, wherein said arrowhead body comprises an exposed exterior surface, said sidewall of said blade receiving slot adjoining said exterior surface at an outside corner.

23. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 22, wherein at least one of said blade faces engages with said outside corner when said blade is in said retracted position.

24. A blade-opening arrowhead as recited in claim 22, wherein at least one of said blade faces has an indent or a bump.

25. An arrowhead as recited in claim 15 wherein said blade does not have a protrusion extending out from a side face thereof.

26. An arrowhead as recited in claim 15 wherein said blade slot sidewalls are entirely substantially planar.

27. A blade-opening arrowhead comprising:

(a) an arrowhead body;

(b) a blade having a first end, and an opposing second end;

(c) a blade receiving slot substantially longitudinally recessed within said arrowhead body, said receiving slot being partially bounded by a sidewall, wherein said receiving slot comprises a pair of opposing sidewalls with an opening extending therebetween, said opening for at least a portion of said receiving slot being narrower than the thickness of said blade when said blade is not retracted therebetween, said sidewalls of said receiving slot being resilient;

(d) hinge means for pivotally connecting said second end of said blade to said arrowhead body to enable said blade to rotate between a retracted position wherein said blade is positioned adjacent to said arrowhead body and an open position wherein said first end of said blade is rotated away from said arrowhead body; and

(e) retention means for independently retaining said blade selectively in said retracted position so that said blade is independently securely held adjacent to said arrowhead body when in said retracted position and said blade freely rotates into said open position when the arrowhead penetrates an object.