Archery bow with twin flex limb

Abstract

An archery bow twin flex limb having a unitary or one-piece portion and a forked portion. The unitary and forked portions consist of two flexing sections separated by a transition section. The twin flex limb may be used for compound bow or compound crossbow having a single cam or dual cams.

1 . A limb for a compound archery bow comprising:
 a single elongate member, the single member having with a proximal end configured to engage a riser of the archery bow and a distal end configured to support a rotatable assembly;   said single elongate member having a unitary portion which extends from the proximal end and divides into a forked portion adjacent the distal end, the forked portion having first and second arms configured at the distal end to support the rotatable assembly;   wherein only the proximal end of the elongate member is configured to engage the riser, and   wherein, between the proximal end and the distal end said single elongate member does not engage the riser and is divided into three sections,
 a first flexing section adjacent the proximal end, 
 a second flexing section adjacent the distal end, the first flexing section and the second flexing section each being configured to flex as the bow is drawn; and 
 a transition section disposed between the first flexing section and the second flexing section, the transition section being primarily non-flexing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The limb of  claim 1  wherein each of the first flexing section and the second flexing sections is configured to flex independently. 
     
     
         3 . The limb of  claim 1  wherein each of the first flexing section and the second flexing sections is longer than the transition section. 
     
     
         4 . The limb of  claim 1  wherein the transition section includes a base of the forked portion for the first and second arms of the second flexing section and wherein the transition section further comprises a mechanical reinforcement in the unitary portion of the single elongate member adjacent the base. 
     
     
         5 . The limb of  claim 4  wherein the mechanical reinforcement comprises a bore defined in the transition section and a corresponding mechanical member received within the bore. 
     
     
         6 . The limb of  claim 1  wherein each of the first flexing section and the second flexing sections has at least a portion with a height smaller than a height of the transition section. 
     
     
         7 . The limb of  claim 6  wherein the height of the transition section is 0.3 to 0.6 inches, the height of the portion of the first flexing section is 0.15 to 0.5 inches, and the height of the portion of the second flexing section is 0.15 to 0.5 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The limb of  claim 7  wherein the height of the transition section is 0.5 inches, the height of the portion of the first flexing section is 0.25 inches, and the height of the portion of the second flexing section is 0.3 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The limb of  claim 7  wherein the proximal end of the limb has a height of 0.2 to 0.6 inches and the distal end of the limb has a height of 0.3 to 0.6 inches. 
     
     
         10 . The limb of  claim 9  wherein the height of the proximal end of the limb is 0.4 inches and wherein the height of the distal end of the limb is 0.5 inches. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The limb of  claim 1  wherein the transition section has a length of 0.0625 to 1 inch. 
     
     
         14 . The limb of  claim 13  wherein the length of the transition section is 0.5 inches. 
     
     
         15 . The limb of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable assembly comprises an archery bow cam or an archery bow wheel. 
     
     
         16 . The limb of  claim 1  wherein the first and second arms are configured independently and have different dimensions. 
     
     
         17 . A compound archery bow comprising
 a riser;   an upper limb and a lower limb, each of the upper limb and lower limb comprising
 a single elongate member, the single member having a proximal end configured to engage the riser and a distal end configured to support a rotatable assembly; 
 said single elongate member having a unitary portion which extends from the proximal end and divides into a forked portion adjacent the distal end, the forked portion having first and second arms configured at the distal end to support the rotatable assembly, 
 wherein only the proximal end of the elongate member is configured to engage the riser, and 
 wherein, between the proximal end and the distal end said single elongate member does not engage the riser and is divided into three sections,
 a first flexing section adjacent the proximal end, and 
 a second flexing section adjacent the distal end, 
 the first flexing section and the second flexing section each being configured to flex as the bow is drawn; and 
 a transition section disposed between the first flexing section and the second flexing section, the transition section being primarily non-flexing; 
 
   a bow string routed between the upper limb and the lower limb; and   at least one power cable routed between the upper limb and the lower limb.   
     
     
         18 . The compound archery bow of  claim 17  wherein the rotatable assembly comprises a cam or wheel. 
     
     
         19 . The compound archery bow of  claim 17  wherein each of the first flexing section and the second flexing sections of the single elongate member is configured to flex independently. 
     
     
         20 . The compound archery bow of  claim 17  wherein each of the first flexing section and the second flexing sections of the single elongate member has at least a portion with a height smaller than a height of the transition section. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A limb for a compound archery bow comprising:
 a single elongate member with a proximal end configured to engage a riser of the archery bow and a distal end configured to support a rotatable assembly;   said single elongate member having a unitary portion adjacent the proximal end and which unitary portion extends from the proximal end and divides into a forked portion adjacent the distal end, the forked portion having first and second arms configured to support the rotatable assembly;   wherein between the proximal end and the distal end, said single elongate member is freestanding, does not engage the riser, and is divided into three sections,
 a first flexing section in the unitary portion, 
 a second flexing section in the forked portion, the first flexing section and the second flexing section each being configured to flex as the bow is drawn; and 
 a transition section disposed between the first flexing section and the second flexing section, the transition section being primarily non-flexing and the transition section comprising a base of the forked portion for the first and second arms.