Accessory platform for archery bows

[0001] The present invention relates to accessories and devices designed to absorb the vibrations generated when an arrow is shot from a bow and to balance the bow to the user's requirements.

[0002] In the prior art there exists several devices for absorbing vibration of the bow during the time period when an arrow is shot from the bow. In addition, some of these devices are also capable to some extent of balancing the bow. Such prior art devices can be found in issued United States patent numbers:

[0003]

	4,135,486	4,370,670
	5,273,022	6,526,957
	6,802,307	6,997,174
	7,318,430

[0004] While the devices described in the above-identified United States patents may absorb vibration and balance the bow to some extent, they all have one or more defects such as being heavy, cumbersome, being affected by the wind and providing limited adjustability.

[0005] Applicant incorporates by reference all of Provisional Application No. 61/209,595.

[0006] Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.

[0007] In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an accessory platform for an archery bow which not only absorbs the vibration but also provides substantial adjustability in balancing the bow to the user's specifications.

[0008] In keeping with the principals and objects of the present invention, the above described objects are accomplished by a unique accessory platform for archery bows. The accessory platform includes a substantially disk-shaped portion provided with a hole in the center thereof, a plurality of holes are provided around a periphery of the disk-shaped portion and a base cushion is provided in the hole and includes means to couple the disk-shaped portion directly or indirectly to an archery bow. This accessory platform is utilized to absorb vibration when an arrow is shot from an archery bow and to balance the weight of the archery bow pursuant to the requirements of the user.

[0014] Referring to the FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, 3A and 3B, shown therein are the basic components of the accessory platform of the present invention. In particular, the present invention comprises a disk 2, thus is shown in the FIGS. 1A through 1C. The disk 2 can be made from a hard or pliable material such as a metal, plastic or elastomer. The disk 2 is generally disk-shaped, but could be provided in other shapes depending on the application such as a star shape, a square, a hexagon, etc. and could be made in various diameters. Around the periphery of the disk 2 is a plurality of mounting holes 4. These mounting holes 4 are for the purpose of mounting other elements to the disk 2 and the primary elements which might be added to the disk 2 are weights 6 such as are shown in FIG. 4. The weights 6 may be provided in each one of the mounting holes or depending on the balance desired by the user, again be provided in only one hole or any other number of holes and positions which the user may desire in order to provide the proper balance. Still further, the holes 4 may be threaded or unthreaded of all the same or different sizes, and of various numbers, depending on the application.

[0015] The disk 2 is further provided at its center with a hole 8. The hole 8 may be further provided with radially extending notches 10 on a bottom surface of the disk 2. These notches 10 are utilized to prevent the disk 2 from rotating on its mounting.

[0016] A cushion base comprising two parts shown in the FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B. The cushion base comprises a lower portion 12 which has a raised portion 14 which fits into the hole 8 from the bottom side of the disk 2. The bottom portion 12 is provided with the threaded means 16A and 16B provided on both sides of the lower base 12. The two threaded mounting means 16A and 16B are not connected to each other and are separate elements and are molded or installed into the lower base 12. Screw mounting 16a threads into a hole 17 in the upper base 18 so as to mount the lower base 14 and the upper base 18 together. The upper base 18 is further provided with a projecting portion 20 which includes projecting tabs 22. The projecting tabs 22 fit into the notches 10 in the disk 2 and together with the notches 10 prevent the disk 2 from rotating. Still further, the upper and lower base portions 18 and 12 are made from a shock absorbing material such as an elastomer and such elastomer can be 35 to 80 duro depending on the application.

[0017] In operation and as is shown in FIG. 4, the disk 2 with weights 6 can be attached to a stabilizer 24 of an archery bow by means of the top threaded portion 16B. The stabilizer 24 can then be attached to an archery bow, not shown. Still further and in other applications, the disk 2 may be attached by means of the cushion base directly to an archery bow, again not shown, without the utilization of a stabilizer. One or more weights 6 are provided on the disk 2 in whatever configuration the user desires in order to balance the archery bow to the user's specifications. It should be apparent that the disk itself does not function as a weight.

[0018] With the stabilizer 24 mounted on the archery bow, not shown, and the disk 2 mounted to the stabilizer 24 by means of the bottom portion 12 of the cushion base, the vibration generated when an arrow is shot from a bow is absorbed by means of the cushion base while the weights 6 provided on the disk 2 maintain the balance of the bow.

[0019] While the present invention has been described in terms of a separate cushion base from the disk 2, one of ordinary skill in the art could also make the cushion base and the disk 2 as a single molded part. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above described embodiment is but one of many embodiments which could be made based upon the principals and objects of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.