De-cock mechanism for a crossbow

1. A crossbow comprising:

a longitudinally extending main beam;

a bow mechanism including: (1) a pair of outwardly extending bow limbs extending transversely from opposite lateral sides of the main beam; and (2) a bowstring operatively engaged to the outwardly extending bow limbs and movable from: (a) an un-cocked position; to (b) a cocked position;

a trigger mechanism including: a string latch selectively movable into: (1) a first string latch position that holds the bowstring in the cocked position; (2) a second string latch position distinct from the first latch position that does not hold the bowstring in the cocked position; and (3) a third string latch position distinct from the first and second string latch positions; and

a de-cock mechanism including: a de-cock activator selectively movable from: (1) a first de-cock activator position that prevents the string latch from being moved into the third string latch position; into (2) a second de-cock activator position that permits the string latch to be moved into the third string latch position;

wherein when the string latch is in the first string latch position and holds the bowstring in the cocked position: the trigger mechanism is selectively operable to move the string latch into the second string latch position permitting the bowstring to be moved from the cocked position to the un-cocked position to fire the crossbow; and

wherein when the string latch is in the first string latch position and holds the bowstring in the cocked position and the de-cock activator is in the second de-cock activator position: the string latch is selectively movable into the third string latch position and then the second string latch position permitting the bowstring to be moved from the cocked position to the un-cocked position to de-cock the crossbow without firing the crossbow.

2. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the string latch:

pivots in a first direction from the first string latch position to the second string latch position; and

pivots in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from the first string latch position to the third string latch position.

3. The crossbow of claim 2 wherein the string latch:

pivots in the first direction from the third string latch position to the second string latch position; and

moves through the first string latch position as it pivots from the third string latch position to the second string latch position.

4. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein:

the trigger mechanism includes a trigger link selectively movable between: (1) a first trigger link position that retains the string latch in the first string latch position; and (2) a second trigger link position that does not retain the string latch in the first string latch position;

the trigger link must be in the second trigger link position to permit the string latch to move from the first string latch position to the second string latch position; and

the trigger link must be in the second trigger link position to permit the string latch to move from the third string latch position to the second string latch position.

5. The crossbow of claim 4 wherein:

the de-cock mechanism includes a de-cock link selectively movable between: (1) a first de-cock link position that retains the trigger link in the second trigger link position; and (2) a second de-cock link position that does not retain the trigger link in the second trigger link position.

6. The crossbow of claim 5 wherein when the de-cock link is in the first de-cock link position:

moving the bowstring from the cocked position to the un-cocked position causes the de-cock link to move into the second de-cock link position.

7. The crossbow of claim 5 wherein:

the string latch has a surface;

the de-cock link has a surface; and

moving the string latch from the first string latch position to the third string latch position causes the string latch surface to operatively engage the de-cock link surface causing the de-cock link to move from the second de-cock link position to the first de-cock link position.

8. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein:

when the string latch is in the first string latch position and holds the bowstring in the cocked position and the de-cock activator is in the second de-cock activator position: a claw is selectively movable to cause the string latch to move from the first string latch position to the third string latch position; and

the claw is selectively operable to move the bowstring from the cocked position to the un- cocked position to de-cock the crossbow without firing the crossbow.

9. The crossbow of claim 1 wherein the de-cock mechanism further comprises:

a de-cock lock movable between: (1) a first de-cock lock position that retains the de-cock activator in the second de-cock activator position; and (2) a second de-cock lock position that permits the de-cock activator to move into the first de-cock activator position; and

a de-cock lock biasing device that applies a de-cock lock biasing force that biases the de-cock lock into the first de-cock lock position.

10. A crossbow comprising:

a longitudinally extending main beam;

a bow mechanism including: (1) a pair of outwardly extending bow limbs extending transversely from opposite lateral sides of the main beam; and (2) a bowstring operatively engaged to the outwardly extending bow limbs and movable from: (a) an un-cocked position; to (b) a cocked position;

a trigger mechanism including:

a string latch selectively movable into: (1) a first string latch position that holds the bowstring in the cocked position; (2) a second string latch position distinct from the first latch position that does not hold the bowstring in the cocked position; and (3) a third string latch position, distinct from the first and second string latch positions; and

a trigger link selectively movable between: (1) a first trigger link position that retains the string latch in the first string latch position; and (2) a second trigger link position that does not retain the string latch in the first string latch position; and

a de-cock mechanism including:

a de-cock link selectively movable between: (1) a first de-cock link position that retains the trigger link in the second trigger link position; and (2) a second de-cock link position that does not retain the trigger link in the second trigger link position; and

a de-cock activator selectively movable from: (1) a first de-cock activator position that prevents the string latch from being moved into the third string latch position; into (2) a second de-cock activator position that permits the string latch to be moved into the third string latch position;

wherein when the string latch is in the first string latch position and holds the bowstring in the cocked position and the de-cock link is in the second de-cock link position: the trigger link is selectively movable from the first trigger link position to the second trigger link position permitting the string latch to be moved into the second string latch position permitting the bowstring to be moved from the cocked position to the un-cocked position to fire the crossbow; and

wherein when the string latch is in the first string latch position and holds the bowstring in the cocked position and the de-cock activator is in the second de-cock activator position: the string latch is selectively movable to cause the de-cock link to move from the second de-cock link position into the first de-cock link position permitting the string latch to be moved into the third string latch position and then the second string latch position permitting the bowstring to be moved from the cocked position to the un-cocked position to de-cock the crossbow without firing the crossbow.

11. The crossbow of claim 10 wherein the string latch:

pivots in a first direction from the first string latch position to the second string latch position; and

pivots in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from the first string latch position to the third string latch position.

12. The crossbow of claim 11 wherein the string latch:

pivots in the first direction from the third string latch position to the second string latch position; and

moves through the first string latch position as it pivots from the third string latch position to the second string latch position.

13. The crossbow of claim 10 wherein:

the string latch has a surface;

the de-cock link has a surface; and

moving the string latch from the first string latch position to the third string latch position causes the string latch surface to operatively engage the de-cock link surface causing the de-cock link to move from the second de-cock link position to the first de-cock link position.

14. The crossbow of claim 10 wherein:

when the string latch is in the first string latch position and holds the bowstring in the cocked position and the de-cock activator is in the second de-cock activator position: a claw is selectively movable to cause the string latch to move from the first string latch position to the third string latch position; and

the claw is selectively operable to move the bowstring from the cocked position to the un- cocked position to de-cock the crossbow without firing the crossbow.

15. The crossbow of claim 10 wherein when the de-cock link is in the first de-cock link position:

moving the bowstring from the cocked position to the un-cocked position causes the de-cock link to move into the second de-cock link position.

16. The crossbow of claim 10 wherein the de-cock mechanism further comprises:

a de-cock lock movable between: (1) a first de-cock lock position that retains the de-cock activator in the second de-cock activator position; and (2) a second de-cock lock position that permits the de-cock activator to move into the first de-cock activator position; and

a de-cock lock biasing device that applies a de-cock lock biasing force that biases the de-cock lock into the first de-cock lock position.

17. A crossbow method comprising the steps of:

A) providing a crossbow including:

a longitudinally extending main beam;

a bow mechanism including: (1) a pair of outwardly extending bow limbs extending transversely from opposite lateral sides of the main beam; and (2) a bowstring operatively engaged to the outwardly extending bow limbs;

a trigger mechanism including a string latch; and

a de-cock mechanism including a de-cock activator;

B) providing the bowstring to be operable to perform the step of: moving between: (1) an un-cocked position; and (2) a cocked position;

C) providing the string latch to be operable to perform the step of: moving into: (1) a first string latch position that holds the bowstring in the cocked position; (2) a second string latch position distinct from the first latch position that does not hold the bowstring in the cocked position; and (3) a third string latch position distinct from the first and second string latch positions; and

D) providing the de-cock activator to be operable to perform the step of: moving from: (1) a first de-cock activator position that prevents the string latch from being moved into the third string latch position; into (2) a second de-cock activator position that permits the string latch to be moved into the third string latch position;

wherein when the string latch is in the first string latch position and holds the bowstring in the cocked position: E) providing the trigger mechanism to be operable to perform the step of: moving the string latch into the second string latch position permitting the bowstring to be moved from the cocked position to the un-cocked position to fire the crossbow; and

wherein when the string latch is in the first string latch position and holds the bowstring in the cocked position and the de-cock activator is in the second de-cock activator position: F) providing the string latch to be operable to perform the step of: moving into the third string latch position and then the second string latch position permitting the bowstring to be moved from the cocked position to the un-cocked position to de-cock the crossbow without firing the crossbow.

18. The crossbow method of claim 17 wherein:

step E comprises the step of: pivoting the string latch in a first direction; and

step F comprises the step of: pivoting the string latch in a second direction, opposite the first direction.

19. The crossbow method of claim 17 wherein step F comprises the steps of:

using a claw to move the string latch from the first string latch position to the third string latch position; and

using the claw to move the bowstring from the cocked position to the un-cocked position to de- cock the crossbow without firing the crossbow.

20. The crossbow method of claim 17 wherein:

step A comprises the steps of:

(1) providing the string latch with a surface; and

(2) providing the de-cock mechanism with a de-cock link having a surface;

the method also includes the step of: providing the de-cock link to be selectively movable between: (a) a first de-cock link position that retains the trigger link in the second trigger link position; and (2) a second de-cock link position that does not retain the trigger link in the second trigger link position; and

step F comprises the step of: operatively engaging the string latch surface with the de-cock link surface to cause the de-cock link to move from the second de-cock link position to the first de-cock link position.