Archer's finger protection device

Abstract

A finger-protection device for archery with a single stall (14) surrounding a plurality of fingers on the same side of the arrow nock (20), and a stall surrounding a single finger (13), or a plurality of contiguous fingers on the opposite side of the nock as may be applicable to an archer's style of grip. This combined stall provides more consistent release and reduces finger pinch compared to gloves with plural stalls for contiguous fingers. The device, worn like a glove, provides more convenience and protection than finger tabs. Thus archers can enjoy, in a single device, the convenience and protection associated with a glove, enhanced comfort, and the accurate, consistent release associated with a finger tab.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application 61 / 157,924 filed on Mar. 6, 2009 by the present inventor.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH[0002]None.SEQUENCE LISTING[0003]NoneBACKGROUND[0004]1. Field[0005]This invention relates to archery, specifically to an improved means of bowstring finger protection.[0006]2. Prior Art[0007]When shooting a bow and arrow in archery, many factors affect the accuracy and consistency of shots. The release of the bowstring is a most critical factor. In recent years, the use of mechanical releases or release aids has increased substantially among archers and bowhunters. Numerous mechanical release-related US patents exist, including: U.S. Pat. No. 7,654,254 (2010) to Rentz, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,431 (2002) to Summers; U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,437 (1979) to Fletcher; U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,659 (1984) to Troncoso; U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,594 (1983) to Todd; U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,754 (1994) to Pittman,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]Compared to previous archery gloves, which provide a plurality of finger stalls for a plurality of fingers, a combined finger stall provides both greater accuracy and more comfort. This combined stall provides a single contact surface on the side of an arrow nock where a plurality of contiguous fingers draw the bowstring. By reducing multiple contact surfaces to a single, smooth surface, more consistent release occurs than when using the traditional archery glove. Another advantage of the single, combined stall over plural stalls is the reduction of the width of the contiguous fingers on an axis parallel to the bowstring. A plural-stall glove has two thicknesses of material between contiguous fingers, and is necessarily bulkier by those same two thicknesses, though that extra bulk offers no additional protection from the bowstring. An archer with a long draw length, or using a shorter bow, creates a more acute angle where the bowstring meets the fingers. This results in a phenomenon known in archery as “finger pinch”, which is both uncomfortable and interferes with an accurate, consistent draw and release. Reducing the overall width of the contiguous drawing fingers reduces finger pinch, and increases comfort and accuracy.

[0017]Compared to finger tabs, a combined finger stall provides greater convenience and increased protection for the archer's fingers without sacrificing accuracy. Finger stalls cover the archer's fingers more completely than a tab, reducing the chance of the bowstring abrading an archer's finger too near the edge of the tab. Finger tabs are awkward to wear. When the tab is not between the archer's fingers and the bowstring, the tab flaps freely, and interferes with the use of the hand. Most archers grip the bowstring with their dominant hand, which is usually the same side as the dominant eye. Having a finger tab flapping on the fingers is awkward and inconvenient. Having to remove or reposition the tab when not shooting is inconvenient as well.

[0018]An improved finger-protection device for archery means that archers can have the convenience and protection usually associated with a glove plus improved comfort, as well as the accuracy and consistency associated with a finger tab.

Problems solved by technology

Further, many competitive archery events do not allow the use of mechanical release aids.

A major limitation of the traditional archery glove, however, is that is more difficult to obtain consistent, accurate bowstring release.

With Mediterranean grip, the archer may spoil the release by having an inconsistently positioned ring finger.

Multiple surfaces offer multiple opportunities for errors and inconsistencies.

All of these cited patents utilize three-stall construction, and necessarily suffer from the accuracy / consistency limitations of using one stall per finger.

Also, the archer may place or move a finger too close to the edge of the tab, and when releasing, scrape the finger against the bowstring, resulting in injury.

Each of these variations of finger tab lack the comfort, protection, and convenience of the archer's glove.

In conclusion, there has not previously been an effective method of protecting the archer's fingers that encompasses the respective benefits of both gloves and tabs, and mitigates the respective disadvantages of each.

A plural-stall glove has two thicknesses of material between contiguous fingers, and is necessarily bulkier by those same two thicknesses, though that extra bulk offers no additional protection from the bowstring.

This results in a phenomenon known in archery as “finger pinch”, which is both uncomfortable and interferes with an accurate, consistent draw and release.

Finger tabs are awkward to wear.

When the tab is not between the archer's fingers and the bowstring, the tab flaps freely, and interferes with the use of the hand.

Having a finger tab flapping on the fingers is awkward and inconvenient.

Having to remove or reposition the tab when not shooting is inconvenient as well.

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