Lighted nock

• US 9,279,649 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nockout Outdoors LLC
• Original Assignee: Clean-Shot Archery Incorporated
• Inventors: Bay, Larry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICCI, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US14/330,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20150018141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 12/38 of tracer type
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/42 of illuminating type, e.g. carrying flares
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/06 Tail ends, e.g. nocks, fletching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A lighted nock system includes a lighted nock assembly and a plurality of adaptors. The lighted nock assembly includes a shaft insertion portion having a shaft outer shape and shaft outer dimension. The first adaptor includes an internal opening having an internal size and internal shape configured to mate with the shaft insertion portion of the lighted nock assembly. The second adaptor includes the same internal opening size and shape as the first adaptor. The outer diameter of the second adaptor is different than the outer diameter of the first adaptor. A plurality of adaptors having different sized outer diameters, but the same internal configurations, can be provided in a single package with the lighted nock assembly. The lighted nock assembly can include a rotatable lockout collar to prevent unintended activation of the lighted nock assembly.

Claims

1. A lighted nock device, comprising:

a nock body, comprising a first end and a second end, the first end being elongated and having a first outside diameter, the second end being configured to engage a bow string;

a nock activation collar disposed over the first end of the nock body and being axially rotatable with respect to the nock body;

a nock housing configured to receive at least a portion of the nock body in an internal channel defined in at least portion of the nock housing; and

wherein the nock body is longitudinally translatable with respect to the nock housing when the nock activation collar is in a first axial rotational position and wherein the nock body cannot longitudinally translate with respect to the nock housing when the nock activation collar is in a second axial rotational position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein in the first axial rotational position a plurality of teeth defined in the nock activation collar are aligned to interleave with a plurality of teeth defined in a portion of the nock body, and wherein in the second axial rotational position the plurality of teeth defined in the nock activation collar are aligned to preclude interleaving with the plurality of teeth defined in the nock body.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a cross sectional shape of an outer perimeter portion of the nock body is configured to mate with a corresponding internal perimeter portion of the nock housing such that radial rotation of the nock body with respect to the nock housing is prevented.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first end of the nock body includes a raised guide protrusion, wherein the nock housing defines an internal guide recess, and wherein the guide protrusion and guide recess are respectively shaped and sized to permit longitudinal movement of the nock body with respect to the nock housing while preventing the nock body from rotating with respect to the nock housing.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first adaptor, the first adaptor including a first outer diameter configured to be inserted into an arrow shaft and an internal opening having an internal perimeter shape and size configured to mate with a cross sectional shape of an outer perimeter portion of the nock housing.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a second adaptor, the second adaptor including a second outer diameter configured to be inserted into an arrow shaft and an internal opening having an internal perimeter shape and size configured to mate with a cross sectional shape of an outer perimeter portion of the nock housing, wherein the second outer diameter is larger than the first outer diameter, and wherein the internal perimeter shape and size of the first adaptor is the same as the internal perimeter shape and size of the second adaptor.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the second end of the nock body defines a channel configured to accept a bow string.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the second end of the nock body is configured to mate with a crossbow string.

9. A lighted nock system, comprising:

a lighted nock assembly, the lighted nock assembly including a shaft insertion portion, an LED and a nock body portion, the shaft insertion portion having a shaft outer shape and shaft outer dimension, wherein the lighted nock assembly is configured to activate the LED by linearly sliding the nock body portion in a direction towards the shaft insertion portion and deactivate the LED by linearly sliding the nock body portion in a direction away from the shaft insertion portion;

a first adaptor, the first adaptor including an internal opening having an internal size and internal shape configured to mate with the shaft insertion portion of the lighted nock assembly, and the first adaptor having a first adaptor outside diameter; and

a second adaptor, the second adaptor including an internal opening having an internal size and internal shape configured to mate with the shaft insertion portion of the lighted nock assembly, and the second adaptor having a second adaptor outside diameter,

wherein the second adaptor outside diameter is larger than the first adaptor outside diameter.

10. The lighted nock system of claim 9, further comprising a third adaptor, the third adaptor including an internal opening having an internal size and internal shape configured to mate with the shaft insertion portion of the lighted nock assembly, and the third adaptor having a third adaptor outside diameter that is larger than the second adaptor outside diameter.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a single package containing the lighted nock assembly, the first adaptor and the second adaptor.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an aperture defined in the package adjacent a top edge thereof to allow for hanging by a post in a store display.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the lighted nock assembly includes a registration feature to prevent rotation of the nock body portion of the lighted nock assembly.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the lighted nock assembly includes a lockout collar rotatable between a first position and second position, wherein in the first position, the LED is prevented from being actuated, and wherein in the second position, the LED is actuatable.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the

nock body includes a first plurality of radially arrayed teeth and a plurality of gaps defined between the teeth;

and

the lighted nock assembly further comprises;

a nock activation collar disposed adjacent the first plurality of teeth, the nock activation collar including a second plurality of radially arrayed teeth projecting longitudinally outwards towards the first plurality of teeth, the second plurality of teeth configured to interleave with the first plurality of teeth in a first rotational position when the second plurality of teeth are rotationally aligned with the gaps between the first plurality of teeth, and the second plurality of teeth configured to abut the first plurality of teeth in a second rotational position when the second plurality of teeth are rotationally aligned with the first plurality of teeth; and

a nock housing comprising an internal channel configured to accept a portion of the nock body therein.

16. A method of using a lighted nock for an arrow shaft, the method comprising:

selecting a first adaptor from a package containing a plurality of adaptors, the plurality of adaptors including the first adaptor having a first outside diameter and a second adaptor having a second outside diameter, wherein the first outside diameter is different than the second outside diameter, the first adaptor corresponding to an inner diameter of the arrow shaft;

inserting at least a portion of the first adaptor into an end of the arrow shaft;

inserting a portion of the lighted nock into the first adaptor; and

placing the lighted nock in a deactivated mode, wherein lighting the lighted nock is prevented, by rotating a nock activation collar with respect to a nock body into a deactivated position.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising placing the lighted nock in a ready to fire mode, wherein the lighted nock can be lighted, by rotating a nock activation collar with respect to the nock body into a ready position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising lighting the lighted nock by pressing on an end of the nock body when the nock activation collar is in the ready position.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the steps of placing the lighted nock in a deactivated mode, placing the lighted nock in a ready to fire mode and lighting the nock are performed while the lighted nock remains inserted into the end of an arrow shaft.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising deactivating the lighted nock when in a lit state by linearly sliding an end portion of the lighted nock longitudinally away from the arrow shaft without removing the lighted nock from the arrow shaft.