US-12624930-B2 - Sports shooting target and a launching head and corresponding device

US12624930B2US 12624930 B2US12624930 B2US 12624930B2US-12624930-B2

Abstract

A launching head for launching two or more sports shooting targets is provided, where each target is of a generally disc-shaped configuration. The launching head is of a generally tubular configuration defined by a longitudinally extending rotational axis and includes an outer circumferential support surface portion formed to fit into and support the respective targets. The launching head is provided with a plurality of retaining claw members configured to be able to pivot in a plane containing the longitudinal axis and pivot an angle relative to a plane extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis. A launching device applying the launching head to a sports shooting target is also provided.

Inventors

Jens Larsen

Assignees

NORDIC SPORTING CLAYS APS

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220630
Priority Date: 20210705

Claims (15)

1 . A launching head for launching two or more sports shooting targets, where each target is of a generally disc-shaped configuration, where the target is defined by a rotational axis and a central hub portion extending perpendicularly to the rotational axis, the central hub portion comprises a radially inward facing surface formed for releasable attachment of the two or more sports shooting targets to the launching head, where the launching head is characterized in that the launching head is of a generally tubular configuration defined by a longitudinally extending rotational axis and where the launching head is provided with an outer circumferential support surface portion formed to fit into and support said radially inward facing surface of the central hub portion of the respective targets; the launching head is provided with a plurality of retaining claw members configured to be able to pivot in a plane containing the longitudinally extending rotational axis and pivot an angle relative to a plane extending perpendicularly to the longitudinally extending rotational axis, where each of the plurality of retaining claw members is provided with two longitudinally spaced-apart retaining portions configured such that: when the retaining claw member is in a first pivotal position, both of the retaining portions are in a radial position outside the outer circumferential support surface portion, in said position both of the retaining portions attach the hub portion of the respective targets to the outer circumferential support surface portion of the launching head, and when the retaining claw member is in a second pivotal position, the retaining portion closest to the pivot point is at a radial position outside the outer circumferential support surface portion, in said position the retaining portion closest to the pivot point attaches the corresponding target to the launching head whereas the other retaining portion is at a radial position inside the support surface portion, in said position the other retaining portion does not attach the corresponding target to the launching head, and when the retaining claw member is in a third pivotal position, both of the retaining portions are in a radial position inside the outer circumferential support surface portion where both of the retaining portions do not attach the respective target to the outer circumferential support surface portion of the launching head.
2 . A launching head according to claim 1 , wherein the outer circumferential support surface portion extends in parallel with the longitudinally extending rotational axis thereby forming a cylindrical support surface portion about the longitudinally extending rotational axis configured to guide and support the targets during launching from the launching head.
3 . A launching head according to claim 1 , wherein the outer circumferential support surface portion is formed by an outer circumferential surface of a cap member, wherein the cap member is provided at a longitudinal end portion of an outer body portion that faces in a positive direction of the longitudinal rotational axis.
4 . A launching head according to claim 1 , further comprising an inner body portion and an outer body portion that can undergo a longitudinal displacement relative to the inner body portion, where the retaining claw members are in engagement with the inner body portion and the outer body portion such that said displacement causes the retaining claw members to pivot in a plane containing the longitudinally extending rotational axis between said first, second and third pivotal positions.
5 . A launching head according to claim 4 , wherein said retaining claw members each comprises two retaining contact portions configured to establish contact with and retain a respective target to the launching head.
6 . A launching head according to claim 5 , wherein each of the retaining claw members comprises extensions, where one extension is configured to fit into a corresponding circumferentially extending groove provided in the inner body portion and a second extension of the retaining claw member is configured to fit into a corresponding groove on an inner surface portion of the outer body portion, whereby a longitudinal displacement of the outer body portion relative to the inner body portion causes the retaining claw member to pivot an angle in a plane comprising the longitudinal rotational axis of the launching head.
7 . A launching head according to claim 6 , wherein each of the retaining claw members is divided in an upper body portion and a lower body portion separated by a line that extends substantially through a center portion of the extensions of the retaining claw member and where a geometrical configuration of the retaining claw member is such that a center of gravity of the retaining claw member is located either on a line L or within the lower body portion of the retaining claw member.
8 . A launching device comprising a launching head according to claim 4 , where the launching device comprises displacement means configured to displace said outer body portion relative to said inner body portion of the launching head such that the displacement can be preadjusted in such a manner that a given desired time interval between a launching of the first target from the launching head and a launching of the second target from the launching head is obtained.
9 . A launching device according to claim 8 , wherein said displacement means comprises longitudinally extending rod members that connects the outer body portion of the launching head with displacement drive means configured to provide such a displacement of the outer body portion that is required to pivot the retaining claw members from one extreme position in which the two or more sports shooting targets are retained to the launching head, and hence rotates in unison with the launching head to an opposite extreme position in which the two or more sports shooting targets are released from the launching head.
10 . A sports shooting target for application with the launching head according to claim 9 , where the sports shooting target is made of a biodegradable material, the sports shooting target having a rotational axis and attachment means configured for releasable attachment of the sports shooting target to the launching head, where the sports shooting target is provided with trajectory stabilizing means that are configured to stabilize a trajectory of the sports shooting target by gyro effect caused by rotation about said rotational axis which stabilizing means further function as propelling means that cause forward movement of the sports shooting target along the trajectory of the sports shooting target due to the rotation about said rotational axis, when the sports shooting target is rotating, where said stabilizing means comprises fan means comprising fan blades that rotates in unison with the sports shooting target, when the sports shooting target rotates, such that the stabilizing means both provides said stabilizing gyro effect and forward propulsion or movement of the sports shooting target along a chosen trajectory; where: the sports shooting target comprises a hub portion configured for releasable attachment to a corresponding portion of the launching head, said portion of the launching head, when the sports shooting target is attached thereto, can rotate said sports shooting target and release said sports shooting target from the launching head, when a desired terminal rotational speed has been reached; and the hub portion is provided with an inner circumferential surface facilitating release of the sports shooting target from said portion of the launching head and which surface defines an inner space; the sports shooting target comprises a plurality of concentric ring members arranged about the rotational axis of the sports shooting target at different distances from the rotational axis and outside the hub portion; the stabilizing means comprises a plurality of fan blades that extend radially from the hub portion to the ring member provided at a largest distance from the rotational axis; and where the hub portion comprises inwardly sloping surfaces that converge towards the longitudinal rotational axis of the sports shooting target, where the inwardly sloping surfaces of the hub portion are substantially mirror-symmetrical about a plane extending centrally through the sports shooting target and perpendicularly to the rotational axis of the sports shooting target, whereby it becomes possible to attach the hub portion of the sports shooting target to the launching head from either side of the sports shooting target.
11 . A sports shooting target according to claim 10 , where said ring members have cross-sectional shapes comprising curved first and second side faces, where the first and second side faces meet at a substantially sharp edge portion, thereby optimizing aero-dynamic properties of the respective ring members.
12 . A sports shooting target according to claim 10 , where an inclination angle of the ring members relative to the plane of the target increases towards the hub portion.
13 . A launching device according to claim 8 , wherein said displacement means are configured and controlled such that said displacement is continuous.
14 . A launching device according to claim 8 , wherein said displacement means are configured and controlled such that said displacement is stepwise.
15 . A launching head according to claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally spaced-apart retaining portions of the claw member have contact faces that correspond to a corresponding inner circumferential surface of the hub portion of the corresponding target.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application is a United States National Stage of International Patent Application No. PCT/DK2022/000155, filed Jun. 30, 2022, which in turn claims the benefit of European Patent Application 210200349.3, filed Jul. 5, 2021. The entire disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the field of sports shooting targets and devices or apparatuses for launching sports shooting targets and more particularly to the launching heads of such devices or apparatuses. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Traditional prior art launching apparatuses comprise a throwing arm that can be rotated about a rotational axis and onto which a sports shooting target is provided from a supply container at a distance from the rotational axis of the throwing arm. Longitudinally opposite the rotational axis, the throwing arm has a free end portion from which a target provided on the arm will be launched due to the centrifugal force exerted on the target by the rotation of the throwing arm. A prior art sports shooting target and launching apparatus is described in WO2020/253923A1. The launching apparatus described herein comprises a launching head designed to accommodate and launch a single sports shooting target. However, when shooting with a double barrel shotgun or hunting rifle, there is a need for a launching apparatus that can launch two sports shooting targets immediately after each other, such that the shooter can aim at one target first and immediately thereafter at the second target. This need is met by the launching head and device according to the present invention. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION On the above background it is an object of the present invention to provide a launching head and a device in which this launching head is incorporated that makes it possible to launch two—or even more—sports shooting targets from the same launching head without having to reload the launching head between two consecutive launching of sport shooting targets. It is a further object of the invention to provide a launching head and corresponding device that ensures that a very light and fragile target can be launched from the launching head in an optimal manner without the risk of damaging the target during the launching process. The launching head and device of the present invention is especially suited for the sports shooting targets according to the present invention but also for targets of the configurations described in the above-mentioned prior art document WO2020/253923A1. It is furthermore understood that also targets that are configured differently can be used with the launching head and device of the present invention, provided the hub portion of the target and the corresponding portion of the launching head can be coupled to each other to render a reliable and safe coupling between these parts. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sports shooting target that can be applied to the launching head of the invention from either the top face of the target or from the bottom face of the target, such that a user does not have to consider whether he is applying the target to the launching head in the correct way. This will both be advantageous in the case where the user is loading the launching head with targets on site, but also when containers adapted for containing a plurality of targets are loaded with targets, which containers can be applied to the launching head or devices according to the present invention. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The above and further objects and advantages are according to a first aspect of the present invention provided by a launching head for launching two or more sports shooting targets, where each target is of a generally disc-shaped configuration, where the target is defined by a rotational axis and a central hub portion extending perpendicularly to the rotational axis, which hub portion comprises a radially inward facing surface formed for releasable attachment of the targets to the launching head (10), wherein: the launching head is of a generally tubular configuration defined by a longitudinally extending rotational axis z and where the launching head is provided with an outer circumferential support surface portion formed to fit into and support said radially inward facing surface of the hub portion of the respective targets;the launching head is provided with a plurality of retaining claw members configured to be able to pivot in a plane containing the longitudinally extending rotational axis z and pivot an angle α relative to a plane (x, y) extending perpendicularly to the longitudinally extending rotational axis z;where each of the retaining claw members is provided with two longitudinally spaced-apart retaining portions configured such that:when the retaining claw member is in a first pivotal position α=α1, both of the retaining portions are in a radial posi