Bow string cam arrangement for a compound bow

Abstract

A dual-cam archery bow with simultaneous power cable take-up and let-out journals. Each cam has power cable journals located on opposite sides of the draw string journal, where at least one of power cable journals is a helical journal.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A bow comprising:
 a center rail defining a projectile axis, an up-range side proximate a user, and a down-range side;   a riser coupled to the center rail;   a first limb coupled to the riser and positioned to a first side of the center rail;   a second limb coupled to the riser and positioned to a second side of the center rail;   a first cam rotatably coupled to the first limb, the first cam rotatable about a first axis;   a second cam rotatably coupled to the second limb, the second cam rotatable about a second axis;   a drawstring coupled to the first cam and the second cam, the drawstring configured to move along the projectile axis between a released configuration and a drawn configuration, wherein in the released configuration, the drawstring extends between the first cam and the second cam, at least a portion of the drawstring positioned to a down-range side of the first cam and a down-range side of the second cam;   a string carrier slidably coupled to the center rail and movable between a first position with the drawstring in the released configuration and a second position with the drawstring in the drawn configuration, the string carrier configured to engage the drawstring and move between the first position and the second position to move the drawstring between the released configuration and the drawn configuration; and   a first power cable and a second power cable, the first power cable coupled to the first cam and the second cam, the second power cable coupled to the first cam and the second cam;   wherein, during operation of the bow with the drawstring in the drawn configuration, a distance between the first axis and the second axis is less than 10 inches.   
     
     
         26 . The bow of  claim 25 , wherein during operation of the bow with the drawstring in the drawn configuration, the distance is between 6 inches and 8 inches. 
     
     
         27 . The bow of  claim 25 , wherein the first cam includes a first power cable journal and a second power cable journal, wherein during operation of the bow as the drawstring moves from the released configuration to the drawn configuration, the first power cable winds onto the first power cable journal and the second power cable unwinds from the second power cable journal. 
     
     
         28 . The bow of  claim 25 , wherein the second cam includes a first power cable journal and a second power cable journal, wherein during operation of the bow as the drawstring moves from the released configuration to the drawn configuration, the second power cable winds onto the first power cable journal and the first power cable unwinds from the second power cable journal. 
     
     
         29 . The bow of  claim 25 , further comprising an arrow rest coupled to the center rail and positioned proximate the down-range side of the center rail, the arrow rest comprising a pair of rollers rotatably coupled to the arrow rest, the pair of rollers structured to support a shaft of a projectile. 
     
     
         30 . The bow of  claim 25 , further comprising a cocking mechanism to move the string carrier from the first position to the second position when the string carrier engages the drawstring, the cocking mechanism comprising:
 a spool with a flexible tension member, the flexible tension member configured to engage the string carrier; and   a cocking handle selectively coupled to the spool and configured to receive a user input to rotate the spool to wind the flexible tension member onto the spool.   
     
     
         31 . The bow of  claim 30 , wherein the string carrier further comprises a string catch, the string catch including a pair of fingers to engage the drawstring, wherein a portion of the drawstring positioned between the pair of fingers is exposed to engage a nock of a projectile. 
     
     
         32 . The bow of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the first cam includes a first let-out journal and a first take-up journal, the first let-out journal configured to unwind second power cable and the first take-up journal configured to wind the first power cable as the first cam rotates in a first direction about the first axis; and   the second cam includes a second let-out journal and a second take-up journal, the second let-out journal configured to unwind the first power cable and the second take-up journal configured to wind the second power cable as the second cam rotates in a second direction about the second axis.   
     
     
         33 . The bow of  claim 32 , wherein the first take-up journal is a helical power cable journal structured to wrap the first power cable along a helical path. 
     
     
         34 . A bow comprising:
 a center rail defining a projectile axis, an up-range side proximate a user, and a down-range side;   a riser coupled to the center rail;   a first limb coupled to the riser and positioned to a first side of the center rail;   a second limb coupled to the riser and positioned to a second side of the center rail;   a first cam rotatably coupled to the first limb, the first cam rotatable about a first axis;   a second cam rotatably coupled to the second limb, the second cam rotatable about a second axis;   a drawstring coupled to the first cam and the second cam, the drawstring configured to move along the projectile axis between a released configuration and a drawn configuration, wherein in the released configuration, the drawstring extends between the first cam and the second cam, at least a portion of the drawstring positioned to a down-range side of the first cam and a down-range side of the second cam;   a string carrier slidably coupled to the center rail, the string carrier moveable between a first position with the drawstring in the released configuration and a second position with the drawstring in the drawn configuration, the string carrier configured to engage the drawstring and move from the first position and the second position to move the drawstring from the released configuration and the drawn configuration; and   a cocking mechanism including a spool and a flexible tension member, the flexible tension member coupled with the string carrier, the spool configured wind the flexible tension member to move the string carrier from the first position to the second position;   wherein, during operation of the bow with the drawstring in the drawn configuration, a distance between the first axis and the second axis is less than 10 inches.   
     
     
         35 . The bow of  claim 34 , wherein the cocking mechanism further comprises:
 a drive shaft including a pin and a pair of drive gears, the pair of drive gears configured to engage with the spool to rotate the spool in a first direction;   a cocking handle releasably engageable with the pin of the drive shaft, the cocking handle configured to receive a user input to rotate the spool to wind the flexible tension member onto the spool;   a pawl configured to engage the spool to arrest rotation of the spool in a second direction; and   a release operatively coupled to the pawl and configured to disengage the pawl from the spool to allow rotation of the spool in the second direction.   
     
     
         36 . The bow of  claim 34 , wherein during operation of the bow with the drawstring in the released configuration, a first distance between the first axis of the first cam and the second axis of the second cam is about 10 inches to about 16 inches. 
     
     
         37 . The bow of  claim 34 , wherein as the drawstring moves along the projectile axis from the released configuration to the drawn configuration:
 the second cam unwinds a first power cable, and the first cam winds the first power cable; and   the first cam unwinds a second power cable, and the second cam winds the second power cable.   
     
     
         38 . The bow of  claim 37 , wherein the first cam and the second cam include a plurality of helical power cable journals structured to wrap the first power cable and the second power cable along a helical path. 
     
     
         39 . The bow of  claim 34 , further comprising an arrow rest coupled to the center rail and positioned proximate the down-range side of the center rail, the arrow rest comprising a pair of rollers rotatably coupled to the arrow rest, the pair of rollers structured to support a shaft of a projectile. 
     
     
         40 . The bow of  claim 34 , wherein the string carrier further comprises a string catch, the string catch including a pair of fingers to engage the drawstring, wherein a portion of the drawstring positioned between the pair of fingers is exposed to engage a nock of a projectile. 
     
     
         41 . A bow comprising:
 a center rail defining a projectile axis, an up-range side proximate a user, and a down-range side proximate a target;   a riser coupled to a center rail;   a first limb coupled to the riser and positioned to a first side of the center rail;   a second limb coupled to the riser and positioned to a second side of the center rail;   a first cam rotatably coupled to the first limb, the first cam rotatable about a first axis;   a second cam rotatably coupled to the second limb, the second cam rotatable about a second axis;   a drawstring coupled to the first cam and the second cam, the drawstring configured to move along the projectile axis between a released configuration and a drawn configuration, wherein in the released configuration, the drawstring extends between the first cam and the second cam, at least a portion of the drawstring positioned to a down-range side of the first cam and a down-range side of the second cam; and   a string carrier slidably coupled to the center rail and movable between a first position with the drawstring in the released configuration and a second position with the drawstring in the drawn configuration, the string carrier comprising a string catch with a pair of fingers to engage the drawstring, wherein a portion of the drawstring positioned between the pair of fingers is exposed to engage a nock of a projectile;   wherein, during operation of the bow with the drawstring in the drawn configuration, a distance between the first axis and the second axis is less than 10 inches.   
     
     
         42 . The bow of  claim 41 , further comprising an arrow rest coupled to the center rail and positioned proximate the down-range side of the center rail, the arrow rest comprising a pair of rollers rotatably coupled to the arrow rest, the pair of rollers structured to support a shaft of a projectile. 
     
     
         43 . The bow of  claim 41 , further comprising a first power cable and a second power cable, the first power cable coupled to the first cam and the second cam, the second power cable coupled to the first cam and the second cam. 
     
     
         44 . The bow of  claim 43 , further comprising a cocking mechanism to move the string carrier from the first position to the second position when the string carrier engages the drawstring, the cocking mechanism comprising:
 a spool with a flexible tension member, the flexible tension member configured to engage the string carrier; and   a cocking handle selectively coupled to the spool and configured to receive a user input to rotate the spool to wind the flexible tension member onto the spool.