CROSSBOW

Description

The invention relates to a crossbow for firing projectiles, with a stock and a guide rail arranged thereon for accelerating a projectile, and with limbs between which a tensionable string is arranged, a retention groove for retaining the string in the tensioned state in a holding position, and with a trigger for moving the tensioned string out of the retention groove for triggering and for accelerating the projectile along the guide rail.

Crossbows are well known from the state of the art and are used both for sport and hunting. In a crossbow, the limbs are first tensioned by pulling back the string connected to them and then the projectile, for example an arrow, a bolt or a bullet, is brought into engagement with the string. By pulling a trigger, the tensioned string can be brought out of the retention groove, which accelerates the projectile along the guide rail and fires it.

More complex crossbow designs comprise a trigger mechanism and parts that hold the tension forces. The parts holding the tension forces are blocked by the trigger mechanism and folded away or swivelled up to release the shot (so-called “crossbows with a lock”). In simpler crossbow designs, the string is held in a retention groove or a crease or a recess and lifted up by the trigger mechanism and thus released. The present invention relates to this simpler construction of crossbows, which are referred to as “edge lifters”. Such constructions have become known from CA 1 188 583 A or WO 2013/138918 A1.

For example, WO 01/94870 A1 describes a crossbow with adjustable limbs.

With many simpler crossbows, especially the “edge lifters” mentioned above, the trigger is not secured, which can lead to unintentional triggering. Such crossbows comprise the inherent systemic disadvantage that any lifting of the string and not just an actuation of the trigger can trigger a shot. Other designs are very complex and elaborate. In many cases, only the trigger of the crossbow is secured against unintentional actuation, whereby mechanical impacts or shocks to the tensioned crossbow can cause the string to jump out of the retention groove and an unintentional triggering can still occur. If the projectile is already placed in front of the tensioned string, this can lead to dangerous situations. Such a crossbow is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,766,032 B1, for example.

Other crossbows on the market use a safety device that is automatically activated immediately after the tensioning process and must be deactivated by the shooter using a switch before each triggering. Such safety devices are regularly removed or by-passed by shooters, which in turn jeopardises safety.

The object of the present invention is to create an above-mentioned crossbow which is better secured against unintentional triggering. In particular, an automatic and always available safety device is to be realised without the shooter having to take additional steps to manually deactivate the safety device immediately before triggering and thus being burdened. In contrast to known constructions, the design for securing the tensioned crossbow should be as simple and cost-effective as possible, so that it can also be widely used with less expensive crossbows, in particular the above-mentioned “edge lifters”.

The object according to the invention is solved by a crossbow as mentioned above, in which a safety lever is provided for holding the tensioned string in the retention groove, which safety lever is coupled to the trigger, so that when the trigger is moved from the holding position to the triggering position, the safety lever and thus the string can be moved out of the retention groove. According to the invention, the tensioned string is held in the retention groove by a suitably shaped safety lever, so that the string can be prevented from jumping out of the retention groove in the holding position without actuating the trigger. Only when the trigger is pulled the safety lever is moved in a suitable manner so that the opening of the retention groove is released and the string can come out of the retention groove to accelerate the projectile. The shooter does not need to take any additional steps to manually deactivate the safety immediately before triggering. The safety lever and the components required to couple it to the trigger are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Metals or plastics can be used as materials for the necessary components. It is also possible to retrofit existing crossbows with the safety lever.

Advantageously, the safety lever comprises a hook-shaped end which closes the opening of the retention groove in the holding position of the string. This represents a simple and effective design option. Depending on the material, the safety lever can be manufactured by stamping, casting or injection moulding.

If the safety lever is arranged to swivel against the firing direction of the projectile, it can be moved away when the crossbow is tensioned so that the tensioned string can jump into the retention groove. To support the movement of the tensioned string into the retention groove, the limbs, to the ends of which the string is attached, are tensioned slightly downwards in relation to the stock or the centre column of the crossbow.

According to a further feature of the invention, the safety lever is connected to a compression spring. This compression spring ensures that the safety lever closes the retention groove in the holding position and thus prevents the tensioned string from jumping out of the retention groove. In the simplest case, the compression spring is formed by a spiral spring with several coils made of metal or plastic.

The trigger is preferably formed by a trigger lever with a trigger gear arranged thereon and a toothed rack, which is form-fittingly connected to the trigger gear of the trigger lever, so that the toothed rack can be moved when the trigger lever is actuated and the string can be moved out of the retention groove for triggering. This represents a simple realisation of the coupling of the trigger with the safety lever, which consists of a trigger designed in two parts, namely trigger lever with trigger gear and toothed rack, and a corresponding mounting of the safety lever in the rack.

The safety lever is advantageously slideably mounted on the toothed rack. This is a particularly simple method of realising the design.

The trigger lever is usually arranged to swivel around a rotational axis so that the trigger lever has to be moved by a small angle range around the rotational axis for triggering. Theoretically, however, other designs such as linearly slidable trigger levers are also conceivable.

If a compression spring is arranged to hold the trigger lever in the holding position, it can be ensured that the unloaded trigger lever is in the holding position. In the simplest case, this compression spring can also be formed by a spiral spring with several coils made of metal or plastic.

The trigger can be blocked in the holding position by a spring-mounted trigger safety lever. The blocking of the trigger by the trigger safety lever can be realised by a corresponding abutment edge on the trigger safety lever, which is only released when the trigger safety lever is moved in relation to the trigger, whereby the trigger can be actuated and a shot can subsequently be fired with the crossbow.

A compression spring can be arranged between the trigger lever and the trigger safety lever. In the simplest case, this compression spring can also be formed by a spiral spring with a few coils made of metal or plastic.

The present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

FIG. 1 a side view of a crossbow;

FIG. 2 a top view of the crossbow as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a sectional view of the crossbow according to FIG. 2 along sectional line III-III;

FIG. 4 an exploded view of the crossbow according to FIGS. 1 to 3; and

FIG. 5 a detailed view of the crossbow trigger in enlarged view.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a crossbow 1. The crossbow 1 comprises a stock 2 and limbs 3 connected to it (see FIG. 2). A string 4, which can be tensioned, is arranged at the ends of the limbs 3. The tensioned string 4 is held in a holding position in a retention groove 6. The tensioned string 4 can be moved out of the retention groove 6 via a trigger 7, whereby it can accelerate and launch a projectile 5 located along a guide rail 9 on the stock 2. The projectile 5 can be an arrow, as shown. Bolts or bullets are also possible as projectiles 5 (not shown). A mounting rail 10, a so-called Picatinny rail, is arranged on the underside of the stock 2 for attaching accessories, such as an aiming device or a foregrip (not shown). A shoulder rest (not shown) can also be attached behind the grip 8.

According to the invention, a safety lever 11 is provided for holding the tensioned string 4 in the retention groove 6, which safety lever 11 is coupled to the trigger 7, so that when the trigger 7 is moved from the holding position to the triggering position, the safety lever 11 and thus the string 4 can be moved out of the retention groove 6. The exact function is better illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the crossbow 1 according to FIG. 1. In this view, the guide rail 9 for the projectiles 5 on the stock 2 and the limbs 3 attached to the stock 2 with the string 4 arranged thereon can be seen.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the crossbow 1 as shown in FIG. 2 along sectional line III-III. The safety lever 11 for holding the tensioned string 4 in the retention groove 6 comprises a hook-shaped end 12, which closes the opening of the retention groove 6 in the holding position of the string 4. This prevents the tensioned string 4 from coming out of the retention groove 6 unintentionally or without actuating the trigger 7. When the trigger 7 is actuated, the safety lever 11 is actuated or moved upwards, allowing the string 4 to be moved out of the retention groove 6 for triggering.

To enable the crossbow 1 to be in tension, the safety lever 11 is arranged so that it can be swivelled against the firing direction of the projectile 5. This means that the safety lever 11 is pressed backwards over the string 4, allowing the tensioned string 4 to enter the retention groove 6 of the crossbow 1. When the string 4 is in the retention groove 6, the safety lever 11 snaps forwards again and the hook-shaped end 12 of the safety lever 11 closes the retention groove 6 and prevents the tensioned string 4 from coming out. The compression spring 13 is provided for this mobility of the safety lever 11.

The embodiment of the crossbow 1 is better recognisable in FIG. 4, which shows an exploded view of the crossbow 1 according to FIGS. 1 to 3, and in FIG. 5, which shows a partially sectioned detailed view of the trigger 7 of the crossbow 1 in an enlarged view.

The trigger 7 is formed by a trigger lever 14 with a trigger gear 15 arranged on it and a toothed rack 16, which is form-fittingly connected to the trigger gear 15 of the trigger lever 14. The trigger lever 14 is arranged to swivel about the rotational axis X. When the trigger lever 14 is actuated, the toothed rack 16 is moved upwards and the string 4 is moved out of the retention groove 6 for triggering. For this purpose, the safety lever 11 is slidably mounted on the toothed rack 16.

The trigger lever 14 is held in the holding position by the compression spring 17.

In addition, a spring-mounted trigger safety lever 18 can be provided to block the trigger 7 in the holding position. A compression spring 20 is arranged between trigger lever 14 and trigger safety lever 18. The trigger 7 is blocked by the trigger safety lever 18 by means of a corresponding abutment edge 19 on the trigger safety lever 18. The trigger lever 14 of the trigger 7 is only released after the trigger safety lever 18 has been moved relative to the trigger lever 14, as a result of which the trigger lever 14 can be moved further and a shot can subsequently be fired with the crossbow 1.

The described design of the crossbow 1 enables the realisation of a simple and cost-effective safety device and the prevention of unintentional triggering.