Arrow rest assembly with bidirectional bias torque

Abstract

An arrow rest assembly includes a body, shaft, bidirectional bias mechanism, launcher, and rotation stop. The shaft rotates about a transverse axis and the launcher and rotation stop are secured to the shaft. The bidirectional bias mechanism provides a bias torque that opposes rotation of the shaft in both directions away from a single shaft reference orientation. The arrow rest assembly can be structurally arranged to be cable-driven or limb-driven. If the launcher can be removably secured in each of first and second launcher orientations, then the arrow rest assembly can be readily converted between the limb- and cable-driven arrangements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An arrow rest assembly for a compound archery bow, the arrow rest assembly comprising:
 (a) a body;   (b) a shaft engaged with the body so as to rotate about an axis that, with the arrow rest assembly secured to the riser of the archery bow, is substantially perpendicular to a shooting plane defined by the archery bow;   (c) a bidirectional bias mechanism structurally arranged so as to provide a bias torque that opposes rotation of the shaft in both directions away from a single, substantially fixed shaft reference orientation relative to the body;   (d) a launcher substantially non-rotatably secured to the shaft; and   (e) a rotation stop substantially non-rotatably secured to the shaft,   wherein:   (f) the arrow rest assembly is structurally arranged so that (i) engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in a launcher-up position, and (ii) rotation of the shaft, away from the reference orientation in a first direction against the bias torque, moves the launcher from the launcher-up position to a launcher-down position; or   (g) the arrow rest assembly is structurally arranged so that (i) engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in the launcher-down position, and (ii) rotation of the shaft, away from the reference orientation in a second direction opposite the first direction and against the bias torque, moves the launcher from the launcher-down position to the launcher-up position.   
     
     
         2 . The arrow rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that:
 (h) engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft rotated, in the first direction, away from the reference orientation against the bias torque, with the launcher in the launcher-up position, or 
 (i) engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft rotated, in the second direction, away from the reference orientation against the bias torque, with the launcher in the launcher-down position. 
 
     
     
         3 . The arrow rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein:
 (d′) the launcher is structurally arranged so as to be removably, substantially non-rotatably secured to the shaft in each one of first and second launcher orientations relative to the shaft; 
 (f′) with the launcher secured to the shaft in the first launcher orientation, the arrow rest assembly is structurally arranged so that (i) engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in a launcher-up position, and (ii) rotation of the shaft, away from the reference orientation in a first direction against the bias torque, moves the launcher from the launcher-up position to a launcher-down position; and 
 (g′) with the launcher secured to the shaft in the second launcher orientation, the arrow rest assembly is structurally arranged so that (i) engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in the launcher-down position, and (ii) rotation of the shaft, away from the reference orientation in a second direction opposite the first direction and against the bias torque, moves the launcher from the launcher-down position to the launcher-up position. 
 
     
     
         4 . The arrow rest assembly of  claim 3  wherein:
 (h) the launcher is secured to the shaft in the first launcher orientation; 
 (i) the arrow rest assembly is secured to the riser of the archery bow; 
 (j) a coupling cable is (i) connected to a limb of the archery bow or to a segment of a cable of the archery bow that moves toward the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn, and (ii) coupled to the shaft so as to link rotation of the shaft to movement of the limb or movement of the cable segment that moves toward the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn; 
 (k) the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that, with the bow at brace, tension on the coupling cable holds the shaft rotated in the first direction against the bias torque with the launcher in the launcher-down position; and 
 (l) the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that, with the bow drawn, the coupling cable is slack, and engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in the launcher-up position. 
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  further comprising the coupling cable and the archery bow. 
     
     
         6 . A method for using the arrow rest assembly of  claim 4 , the method comprising:
 (A) removing the launcher from the shaft and resecuring the launcher to the shaft in the second launcher orientation;   (B) disconnecting the coupling cable from the limb or from the cable segment that moves toward the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn, and reconnecting the coupling cable to a segment of a cable of the archery bow that moves away from the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn; and   (C) arranging, or verifying arrangement of, coupling of the coupling cable to the shaft so as to link rotation of the shaft to movement of the cable segment that moves away from the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn,   wherein, after performing the acts of parts (A), (B), and (C):   (D) the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that, with the bow at brace, the coupling cable is slack, and engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in the launcher-down position; and   (E) the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that, with the bow drawn, tension on the coupling cable holds the shaft rotated in the second direction against the bias torque with the launcher in the launcher-up position.   
     
     
         7 . The arrow rest assembly of  claim 3  wherein:
 (h) the launcher is secured to the shaft in the second launcher orientation; 
 (i) the arrow rest assembly is secured to the riser of the archery bow; 
 (j) a coupling cable is (i) connected to a segment of a cable of the archery bow that moves away from the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn, and (ii) coupled to the shaft so as to link rotation of the shaft to movement of the cable segment that moves away from the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn; 
 (k) the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that, with the bow at brace, the coupling cable is slack, and engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in the launcher-down position; and 
 (l) the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that, with the bow drawn, tension on the coupling cable holds the shaft rotated in the second direction against the bias torque with the launcher in the launcher-up position. 
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising the coupling cable and the archery bow. 
     
     
         9 . A method for using the arrow rest assembly of  claim 7 , the method comprising:
 (A) removing the launcher from the shaft and resecuring the launcher to the shaft in the first launcher orientation;   (B) disconnecting the coupling cable from the cable segment that moves away from the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn, and reconnecting the coupling cable to a limb of the archery bow or to a segment of a cable of the archery bow that toward the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn; and   (C) arranging, or verifying arrangement of, coupling of the coupling cable to the shaft so as to link rotation of the shaft to movement of the limb or movement of the cable segment that moves toward the arrow rest assembly when the bow is drawn,   wherein, after performing the acts of parts (A), (B), and (C):   (D) the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that, with the bow at brace, tension on the coupling cable holds the shaft rotated in the first direction against the bias torque with the launcher in the launcher-down position; and   (E) the arrow rest assembly is further structurally arranged so that, with the bow drawn, the coupling cable is slack, and engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in the launcher-up position.   
     
     
         10 . The arrow rest assembly of  claim 3  wherein:
 (h) the rotation stop is arranged so as to be removably, substantially non-rotatably secured to the shaft in each one of first and second stop orientations relative to the shaft; 
 (i) with the launcher secured to the shaft in the first launcher orientation and the rotation stop secured to the shaft in the first stop orientation, the arrow rest assembly is structurally arranged so that engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in the launcher-up position; and 
 (j) with the launcher secured to the shaft in the second launcher orientation and the rotation stop secured to the shaft in the second stop orientation, the arrow rest assembly is structurally arranged so that engagement of the rotation stop and the body holds the shaft with the launcher in the launcher-down position. 
 
     
     
         11 . The arrow rest assembly of  claim 10  wherein:
 (k) with the launcher secured to the shaft in the first launcher orientation and the rotation stop secured to the shaft in the first stop orientation, the arrow rest assembly is structurally arranged so that engagement of the rotation stop and the body substantially prevents movement of the launcher beyond the launcher-down position; and 
 (l) with the launcher secured to the shaft in the second launcher orientation and the rotation stop secured to the shaft in the second stop orientation, the arrow rest assembly is structurally arranged so that engagement of the rotation stop and the body substantially prevents movement of the launcher beyond the launcher-up position. 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 (h) the bidirectional bias mechanism comprises a first diametrically magnetized annular magnet substantially non-rotatably mounted on the shaft and a second diametrically magnetized annular magnet substantially non-rotatably mounted on the body; 
 (i) the shaft passes through central openings of the first and second annular magnets so that the first and second annular magnets are substantially coaxial; 
 (j) with the shaft at the shaft reference orientation, respective magnetizations of the first and second annular magnets are substantially antiparallel so that the first and second magnets exert negligible torque on each other about the axis; and 
 (k) rotation of the shaft away from the shaft reference orientation results in the first and second magnets exerting the bias torque that opposes the rotation of the shaft away from the shaft reference orientation. 
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 (h) the bidirectional bias mechanism comprises a first set of one or more magnets connected to the shaft and a second set of one or more magnets mounted on the body; 
 (i) the magnets of the first and second sets are structurally arranged so as to exert, with the shaft at the shaft reference orientation, negligible torque on the shaft about the axis; and 
 (j) the magnets of the first and second sets are structurally arranged so that rotation of the shaft away from the shaft reference orientation results in the magnets of the first and second sets exerting the bias torque that opposes the rotation of the shaft away from the shaft reference orientation. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 (h) the bidirectional bias mechanism comprises one or more linear or torsion springs coupling the shaft and the body; 
 (i) the one or more springs are structurally arranged so as to exert, with the shaft at the shaft reference orientation, negligible torque on the shaft about the axis; and 
 (j) the one or more springs are structurally arranged so that rotation of the shaft away from the shaft reference orientation results in the one or more springs exerting the bias torque that opposes the rotation of the shaft away from the shaft reference orientation. 
 
     
     
         15 . The arrow rest assembly of  claim 14  wherein the one or more linear or torsion springs comprises (i) a pair of opposed linear springs or (ii) a pair of opposed torsion springs. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a mounting bracket structurally arranged so as to secure the arrow rest assembly to a riser of the archery bow. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the mounting bracket is structurally arranged so as to enable adjustment of one or more of a horizontal position or a vertical position of the arrow rest assembly relative to the riser of the archery bow.