WO2009035422A2

WO2009035422A2 - Bowstring tensioning requisite

Info

Publication number: WO2009035422A2
Application number: PCT/SI2008/000047
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mitja Primec
Original assignee: Mitja Primec
Priority date: 2007-09-13
Filing date: 2008-09-09
Publication date: 2009-03-19
Also published as: SI22643A; WO2009035422A3

Abstract

A bowstring tensioning requisite enables a correct tensioning of the bowstring without essentially loading of the fingers on each relevant hand, by which the bowstring is tensioned by each user. Said requisite is comfortably placed onto the user's arm during the whole period of practicing or competition and is moreover secured against any undesired removal there-from. Such requisite consists of a flexible elbow loop (1), which is placed around the user's elbow and is via adequate forearm binding (2) connected with appropriate actuating mechanism (3). Said forearm binding (2) comprises an additional loop (25), which is arranged in the area of the user's wrist i.e. adjacent to the actuating mechanism (3) and is adapted to receive the user's thumb, and moreover that an additional upper arm binding (4) having adjustable overall length is attached to the elbow loop (1) and is extended around the user's upper arm in the area above the user's elbow.

Description

PRIMEC Mitja

BOWSTRING TENSIONING REQUISITE

The invention belongs to the field of weapons for projecting missiles without use of explosive, namely to bows, and in particular to accessories for arc shooting.

The purpose of the invention is to create a bowstring tensioning requisite, which should enable regular tensioning of each disposable bowstring without any stressing of four fingers, namely of all four fingers between the fore-finger and the little finger on that hand, which is actually used for the purposes of tensioning the bowstring, and at the same time such requisite should be placed in a comfortable mariner on the user's hand and secured against undesired removal there-from as long as each training or competition takes place.

Regarding the bow-sporting activities, a possibility of regular movement of the archer's hand, which is used for tensioning, is of a great importance with respect to correct tensioning of a bowstring and precisely pointing towards each corresponding target, and also when bearing in mind still acceptable stressing of the shoulder muscular groups, by which it is also very important, that stresses within each relevant muscular groups remain regular even during the period of pointing and retaining the bowstring together with the arrow in a pre-stressed and tensioned position. When tensioning the bowstring, the archer must produce a force up to approximately 300 N. Maintaining a hand in a position when the bowstring is tensioned e.g. during said pointing, often results in weakening relevant muscular groups, which then tremble {tremor) Also the fingers, which are used for tensioning the bowstring and gripping the arrow, may be extremely stressed.

In order to avoid said stressing of fingers, appropriate actuating mechanism has already been developed, which is described in US 4,041,926. Such relatively small and simple assembly consists of jaws, which are mounted within appropriate casing and adapted to cooperate with the bowstring not only during tensioning thereof but also by maintaining the bowstring in its tensioned state, as well as of an actuating assembly, by means of which on the basis of appropriate movement of one or two fingers in each desired moment said jaws are moved apart from each other in order to release the bowstring and launch the arrow. In addition to that, a flexible gripping element is foreseen, which is connected with said actuating mechanism and includes a rope loop, which may be placed around the elbow in order to allow to the wrist to remain released when tensioning of the bowstring takes place. Although such actuating mechanism may generally operate in a quite reliable manner and enables tensioning of the bowstring without extremely stressing fingers during retaining the arrow, said elbow loop seems to be insufficiently comfortable in order to protect the user from pains or even damages during the use thereof. Quite practical application has also shown that despite to concentration of the tension force in the area of the elbow just prior to releasing the tensioned bowstring the fingers on the hand are never completely unloaded, which definitively hinders or even makes impossible launching the arrow exactly in each desired moment. This naturally exhibits an essential impact to preciseness of shooting. Still further, FR 2614981 proposes an elbow support for archers, which consists of a forearm part and an upper-arm part, which are each per se formed as U-profiles consisting of a relatively flexible material, and are furnished with appropriate recesses. Said parts are pivotally interconnected, whereby a relatively rigid elongated tensioning element is pivotally attached to said forearm part and is moreover furnished on its free end with appropriate recess adapted to receive a bowstring, by which such element could be also easily modified for the purposes of interconnection with the aforementioned launching mechanism. Still further, each of these parts includes a set of straps, which are intended to prevent said support from undesired removal from the archer's arm. Despite to the fact that such support is much better adapted to the archer's elbow as the previously mentioned rope, it should be no doubt understand that possible shapes and dimensions of elbows belonging to various archers may essentially differ from each other. Each discrepancy between the shape and size of the support and the shape and dimensions of the elbow area however normally results at least in strange feeling or other emotional disturbances, which may have negative impact to preciseness and efficiency of launching. In addition, the transition area between the relatively flexible parts of the support and a relatively rigid tensioning element may also be very problematic. Since also in this case the fingers on the tensioning hand during tensioning of the bowstring are never completely released or unloaded, the use of such requisite may lead to certain problems by launching, in particular when the archer approaches to tensioning of the bowstring by means of said recess and not e.g. by means of fingers or appropriate actuating mechanism.

The present invention refers to a bowstring tensioning requisite, consisting of a flexible elbow loop, which is placed around the user's elbow and is via adequate forearm binding connected with appropriate actuating mechanism. According to the invention the forearm binding comprises an additional loop, which is arranged in the area of the user's wrist i.e. adjacent to the actuating mechanism and is adapted to receive the user's thumb, and moreover that an additional upper arm binding having adjustable overall length is attached to the elbow loop and is extended around the user's upper arm in the area above the user's elbow.

Said additional loop is either firmly connected to the forearm binding, or may also be in a detachable manner interconnected with the forearm binding.

Also the additional upper arm binding is either firmly and preferably via a flexible binding connected to the elbow loop, or may also be interconnected with the elbow loop, preferably also via appropriate flexible binding and a button.

Furthermore, a joining element is foreseen for the purposes of interconnecting the elbow loop and the forearm binding, and is on the one hand adapted to receive a flexible and relatively wide belt of the elbow loop, which extends above the user's elbow and comprises an U-shaped sub-elbow binding, and on the other hand to receive a belt of the forearm binding, by means of which the elbow loop is interconnected with the actuating mechanism..

Said belt of the elbow lop preferably is formed into a loop by means of a joining element, by means of which the overall length of said loop is adjustable.

Analogously, a flexible and relatively wide belt of the forearm binding comprises a joining element, by means of which the overall length of the forearm binding (2) is adjustable. The invention will be described on the basis of an embodiment and an attached drawing (Fig.l), in which said requisite is presented in a perspective view during the use thereof.

Such requisite consists of a flexible elbow loop 1 as well as of a flexible forearm binding 2, which is connected therewith and to which in the area of the user's wrist an actuating mechanism 3 is attached.

Said elbow loop 1 consists of a relatively broad flexible band 11, which is joined into a loop, the overall length of which is adjustable by means of appropriate joining element 12. Said belt 11, which is on its internal side in the area of elbow preferably furnished with appropriate setting 14, is firmly interconnected with a sub-elbow binding 13.

Said forearm binding 2 also comprises a joining element 21, which adapted to receive the belt 11 of the elbow loop 1 as well as a relatively broad flexible belt 22, to which the actuating mechanism 3 is attached on the free end portion 22' thereof, and the length of which is adjustable by means by means of a clasp 23 or a similar joining element.

The actuating mechanism 3 as such is known to those skilled in the art and is therefore without the scope of the invention. Such mechanism comprises a casing 30 with jaws 31, 32 protruding there-from, as well as an actuator 33, by means of which when using a single finger e.g. a fore- finger said jaws 31, 32 are displaced apart from each other in order to release a not-shown bowstring together with a not-shown arrow cooperating therewith. According to the invention, an additional loop 25 is attached to the forearm binding 2 in the area of the user's wrist, which is intended to receive a user's thumb.

Moreover, an additional upper arm binding 4 is attached to the back side of said elbow loop 1 via a flexible binding 40 and in a detachable manner, preferably by means of a button 40', which is adapted to be fastened around the user's upper arm above his elbow. Said binding 4 consists of relatively wide flexible belt 41 as well as of a joining element 42, by means of which said belt 41 may either be longitudinally aligned or bent and joined into appropriate loop, by which also the overall length of said loop may be appropriately adjusted.

Prior to each use the user needs to place the elbow loop 1 around the elbow on that arm, which is used for tensioning the bowstring, so that the belt 11 of the loop 1 extends above the elbow and the binding 13 below the elbow. After that, the user needs to introduce his thumb into the loop 25 as well as to adjust each desired length of the belt 22, so that the actuating mechanism 3 is positioned in the area of the user's hand and the actuator 33 may be activated by means of each desired finger. In addition to that, the additional upper-arm binding 4 is placed around the upper arm and connected with the elbow loop 1 , and is then firmly secured against each undesired removal thereof regardless to position or state of the user's arm.

As soon as each non-shown bowstring is placed between the jaws 31, 32 of the actuating mechanism 3, the bowstring is tensioned and consequently also the bow. Each bowstring tensioning force is via the forearm binding 2 taken-over by the elbow, so that the wrist should normally be free of any loadings. The muscle tonus in the area of forearm muscle group, which during maintaining of the bow in its tensioned state normally prevents fingers from being relaxed, is by using such a device taken-over exclusively by the user's thumb, which is introduced into said additional loop 25, so that four residual fingers are completely released in such a state. Consequently, actuating may then occur easily and smoothly in each desired moment.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Bowstring tensioning requisite, consisting of a flexible elbow loop (1), which is placed around the user's elbow and via adequate forearm binding (2) connected with appropriate actuating mechanism (3), characterized in that the forearm binding (2) comprises an additional loop (25), which is arranged in the area of the user's wrist i.e. adjacent to the actuating mechanism (3) and is adapted to receive the user's thumb, and moreover that an additional upper arm binding (4) having adjustable overall length is attached to the elbow loop (1) and is extended around the user's upper arm in the area above the user's elbow.

2. Requisite according to Claim 1, characterized in that the additional loop (25) is firmly connected to the forearm binding (2).

3. Requisite according to Claim 1, characterized in that the additional loop (25) is interconnected with the forearm binding (2) in a detachable manner.

4. Requisite according to anyone of Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the additional upper arm binding (4) is connected with the elbow loop (1) in a detachable manner.

5. Requisite according to anyone of Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the additional binding (4) is firmly connected to the elbow loop (1).

6. Requisite according to Claim 5, characterized in that the additional binding (4) is interconnected with the elbow loop (1) via a flexible binding (40).

7. Requisite according to Claim 4, characterized in that the additional binding (4) is connected to the elbow loop (1) by means of a flexible binding (40) and a button (40').

8. Requisite according to anyone of the preceding Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that a joining element (21) is foreseen for the purposes of interconnecting the elbow loop (1) and the forearm binding (2), and is on the one hand adapted to receive a flexible and relatively wide belt (11) of the elbow loop (1), which extends above the user's elbow and comprises an U-shaped sub-elbow binding (13), and on the other hand to receive a belt (22) of the forearm binding (2), by means of which the elbow loop (1) is interconnected with the actuating mechanism (3).

9. Requisite according to anyone of the preceding Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the belt (11) of the elbow lop (1) is formed into a loop by means of a joining element (12), by means of which the overall length of said loop (1) is adjustable.

10. Requisite according to anyone of the preceding Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that a flexible and relatively wide belt (22) of the forearm binding (2) comprises a joining element (23), by means of which the overall length of the forearm binding (2) is adjustable.