Archery bow accessories with a linear slide

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention include archery accessories which incorporate a linear slide which allows one portion of the accessory to linearly translate or reciprocate relative to another portion. In certain embodiments, a linear slide assembly is incorporated into an accessory such as an arrow rest or an archery sight assembly. In certain arrangements, the accessories incorporate a linear slide assembly having a slider piece on an elongated track rail with a slider which moves relative to and along the track rail by virtue of rolling elements such as ball bearings within self-lubricating recirculating tracks. The linear slide preferably allows highly precise adjustment of the linear movement of the accessory with high stability, minimizing wobble and allowing essentially frictionless travel of the slider on the rail without binding.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An archery bow, comprising
 a. a riser with a handle;   b. upper and lower limb portions extending from said handle to limb tip sections;   c. rotational members supported at said limb tip sections;   d. a bowstring extending between said rotational members; and,   e. an accessory mounted to said riser, wherein said accessory incorporates a linear slide assembly with internal ball bearings which allows a movable portion of said accessory to selectively translate relative to a portion of said accessory secured to said riser.   
     
     
         2 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein said linear slide assembly includes a slider mounted on an elongated rail wherein said ball bearings are arranged on opposing sides of the rail between the slider and rail and allow said slider to move relative to and along said rail. 
     
     
         3 . The archery bow of  claim 2 , wherein said ball bearings are contained within recirculating tracks. 
     
     
         4 . The archery bow of  claim 3 , wherein said ball bearings are contained within self-lubricating tracks. 
     
     
         5 . The archery bow of  claim 3 , wherein said accessory is an arrow rest assembly or a sight assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The archery bow of  claim 5 , wherein said accessory is an arrow rest assembly including a support structure mounted to said riser and an arrow support arm assembly, wherein said elongated rail is secured to said support structure and wherein said arrow support arm assembly extends from said slider to an arrow support portion and wherein said arrow support arm assembly is movable from a relaxed position to an actuated position by moving said slider along said rail. 
     
     
         7 . The archery bow of  claim 6 , wherein said arrow rest assembly includes a biasing element operative upon said arrow support arm assembly to bias said arrow support arm assembly towards said relaxed position. 
     
     
         8 . The archery bow of  claim 7 , wherein said arrow rest assembly operatively connects said arrow support arm assembly to said bowstring, so that when the bowstring is drawn said arrow support arm assembly is moved from the relaxed position to the actuated position. 
     
     
         9 . The archery bow of  claim 8 , wherein said arrow rest assembly includes a cord operably connecting said arrow support arm assembly to said bowstring cabling, wherein pulling force applied to the cord pulls said arrow support arm from the relaxed position to the actuated position and compresses said biasing element. 
     
     
         10 . The archery bow of  claim 7 , wherein said arrow rest assembly comprises a guide rod associated with said biasing element and extending through a passage defined in said arrow support arm assembly wherein said arrow support arm assembly moves along said guide rod as said slider moves relative to and along said rail. 
     
     
         11 . The archery bow of  claim 6 , wherein said arrow support arm assembly extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction said slider moves along said rail. 
     
     
         12 . The archery bow of  claim 9 , wherein said arrow support arm assembly is mounted adjacent a lower end of said slider. 
     
     
         13 . The archery bow of  claim 5 , wherein said linearly slide assembly can be selectively locked to inhibit said linear slide assembly portions from translational movement. 
     
     
         14 . The archery bow of  claim 5 , wherein said accessory is a sight assembly including a base assembly mounted to said riser and a movable forward assembly, wherein one of said slider and said rail is mounted to said base assembly and wherein the other of said slider and said rail is mounted to said forward assembly and wherein said forward assembly is movable relative to said base assembly by moving said slider along said rail, and wherein movement of said forward assembly correspondingly moves at least one sight point associated with said sight assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The archery bow of  claim 14 , wherein said sight assembly includes a rack and pinion gearing arrangement to selectively control movement of said forward assembly relative to said base assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The archery bow of  claim 15 , wherein said rack and pinion gearing includes a shaft with an axis substantially perpendicular to the movement axis of said linear slide assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The archery bow of  claim 16 , wherein said base assembly includes said shaft wherein selective rotation of shaft rotates a pinion gear to apply force to a rack gear of said forward assembly to selectively move said forward assembly relative to said rearward assembly and wherein said movement is guided by said linear slide assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The archery bow of  claim 15 , wherein said sight assembly includes a locking screw operable to engage portions of the forward assembly and the base assembly, wherein selective tightened of said locking screw inhibits relative movement of the forward and rear assemblies. 
     
     
         19 . The archery bow of  claim 18 , wherein said locking screw is threaded and wherein said locking screw can be advanced against a portion of said base assembly through a threaded passage defined by said forward assembly. 
     
     
         20 . An archery accessory configured to be mounted to an archery bow riser; comprising,
 a. a base portion configured to be mounted to an archery bow riser; and,   b. a movable portion secured to said base portion with a slidable coupling;   c. said slidable coupling including a plurality of ball bearings forming a plurality of rolling point contacts between said base portion and said movable portion to enable said movable portion to freely translate relative to said base portion.   
     
     
         21 . The archery accessory of  claim 20 , wherein movement of said movable portion correspondingly moves at least one sight point associated with said movable portion. 
     
     
         22 . The archery accessory of  claim 21 , wherein said movable portion is continuously adjustable within a defined adjustment range and where said movable portion can be selectively retained at any desired position within the adjustment range to calibrate the sight point for a selected target distance. 
     
     
         23 . The archery accessory of  claim 20 , wherein said movable portion includes an arrow support arm, and wherein said arrow support arm is movable from a relaxed position to an actuated position by moving said moveable portion relative to said base portion. 
     
     
         24 . The archery accessory of  claim 20 , wherein said ball bearings are arranged in two parallel sets forming opposing contact arrangements between parallel opposing portions of said movable portion and said base portion.