High impact strength lighted nock assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11555676-B2
Application number	US-202117366596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2021
Priority date	Feb 15, 2017
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

A high impact strength lighted nock assembly for an arrow that is activated when the arrow is fired with a bowstring. The lighted nock assembly includes a nock molded from a high impact strength, transparent polymeric material containing at least 10% by weight reinforcing fibers. The nock includes a head configured to engage with the bowstring and a shank configured to couple with a rear end of the arrow. The shank includes a recess extending in a distal end of the shank toward the head. A light assembly including a light emitting device is located in the recess in the shank that is electrically coupled to a battery. A switch is electrically coupled to the light emitting device and the battery that is triggered when the arrow is tired to activate the light emitting device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighted nock assembly, comprising:
a nock comprising
a head configured to engage with a bowstring, and
a shank that includes (i) a cavity having an end located proximate the head and (ii) an opening;

a light assembly comprising
a light emitting device disposed at the end of the cavity and optically coupled to the head of the nock, and
a battery having (i) a first end disposed within the cavity and (ii) a second end disposed external to the cavity, wherein the light emitting device transitions from a deactivated state before an arrow is fired to an activated state after the arrow is fired; and

a battery stop at least partially disposed within a bushing and coupled to the second end of the battery, the battery stop including a first recess, wherein a gasket at least partially resides within the first recess and a second recess defined by the bushing, the gasket releasably coupling the battery stop to the bushing and resisting longitudinal translation of the battery relative to the bushing, wherein the shank translates within the bushing between an activated configuration that activates the light emitting device and a deactivated configuration that deactivates the light emitting device without removing the light assembly from the bushing.

2. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the nock comprises a polymeric material that comprises one of polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyetherimide, nylon, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketone, thermoplastic polyimide, or combinations thereof.

3. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the nock comprises a polymeric material that comprises a reinforcing material of about 20% by weight glass fibers or filamentous glass.

4. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gasket comprises a frictional member that releasably secures the battery stop to the bushing.

5. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein (i) the light assembly, (ii) the nock, (iii) the battery, and (iv) the battery stop are removable from the bushing as a single assembly.

6. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a removable tab stop located in a gap between the head of the nock and the bushing that prevents the nock from translating to the activated configuration.

7. The lighted nock assembly of claim 6 , wherein the removable tab stop comprises a handle portion has at least one major dimension that is at least about two times greater than an outside diameter of the arrow.

8. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein radial outward forces applied to the battery stop during translation from both (i) the deactivated configuration and (ii) the activated configuration are contained within the bushing.

9. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the battery stop further includes:
a groove extending around a least a portion of a periphery of the battery stop; and
a friction member disposed within the groove and engaging at least a portion of the bushing.

10. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the battery is configured to translate within the cavity to (i) electrically couple to the light emitting device when the light emitting device is in the activated state and (ii) electrically decouple from the light emitting device when the light emitting device is in the deactivated state.

11. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bushing includes a flange that engages with the battery stop to prevent displacement of the battery stop after the arrow is fired.

12. The lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the nock comprises a polymeric material that comprises a light transmittance of at least 75%.

13. A plurality of matched weight arrows comprising:
a first arrow having the bushing and the lighted nock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first arrow has a first weight; and
a second arrow having a bushing and a nock without a light assembly located in the bushing, the second arrow having a second weight substantially equal to the first weight.

14. A lighted nock assembly, comprising:
a nock comprising:
a head configured to engage with a bowstring; and
a shank including a cavity;

a light assembly comprising a light emitting device disposed within the cavity and optically coupled to the head of the nock, wherein the light emitting device is in (i) a deactivated state before an arrow is fired due to the light emitting device being electrically decoupled from a battery and (ii) an activated state after the arrow is fired due to the light emitting device being electrically coupled with the battery; and
a battery stop disposed within a bushing and coupled to the battery at a location external to the cavity, the battery stop including a first recess, wherein a frictional member at least partially resides within the first recess and a second recess of the bushing to releasably couple the battery stop to the bushing and resist longitudinal translation of the battery relative to the bushing such that (i) the light assembly, (ii) the nock, and (iii) the battery stop are removable from the bushing as a single assembly, wherein the nock is configured to translate, within the bushing, between (i) an activated configuration characterized by the battery being electrically coupled with the light emitting device in the activated state and (ii) a deactivated configuration characterized by the battery being electrically decoupled from the light emitting device in the deactivated state.

15. A method of assembling a lighted arrow, the method comprising:
inserting a distal portion of a bushing into a rear end of a shaft, the bushing comprising a center opening and a first recess;
providing a nock, the nock comprising a head configured to engage with a bowstring and a shank configured to be inserted within the center opening of the bushing;
attaching a light emitting device of a light assembly within a cavity of the shank, the light assembly comprising a battery at least partially disposed within the cavity and mechanically coupled to the light emitting device;
attaching a battery stop to the battery at a location offset from the shank and external to the cavity, the battery stop including a second recess;
inserting (i) the battery stop, (ii) the light assembly, and (iii) the nock into the center opening in the bushing, wherein a frictional member is disposed at least partially within the first recess and at least partially within the second recess to mechanically couple the battery stop within the bushing, wherein the battery stop resists longitudinal translation of the battery relative to the bushing; and
translating the nock within the center opening of the bushing between an activated configuration that activates the light emitting device and a deactivated configuration that deactivates the light emitting device without removing the light assembly from the bushing.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising molding the nock from a polymeric material including a reinforcing material of about 20% by weight glass fibers or filamentous glass.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the frictional member releasably secures the battery stop to the bushing.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising removing (i) the light assembly, (ii) the nock, (iii) the battery, and (iv) the battery stop from the bushing as a single assembly.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising inserting a removable tab stop in a gap between the head of the nock and the bushing that prevents the nock from translating to the activated configuration.

Assignees

• Ravin Crossbows Llc

Inventors

• Yehle Craig
• Hunt Fred H
• Pulkrabek Larry

Classifications

• F42B12/385

  Arrow or dart carrying a radio transmitter for signalling · CPC title

• F42B12/382

  emitting an electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser beam or infrared emission · CPC title

• F42B12/362

  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 title

• F42B6/06 Primary

  Tail ends, e.g. nocks, fletching · CPC title

• F42B12/38

  of tracer type · CPC title