Personal defense device and method

• US 5,429,301 A
• Filed: 10/06/1993
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Franks H. Trent
• Original Assignee: Franks H. Trent
• Inventors: Franks, H. Trent
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOUGLAS, LISA ANN
• Application Number:
  US08/132,377
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1, 222/3, 222/4, 222/6, 222/39, 222/78, 222/132, 222/135, 222/145, 222/402.11, 222/175, 239/211, 239/154, 239/1
• US Class Current: 239/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/384 comprising an aerosol container disposed in an outer shell or in an external container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/68 Dispensing two or more contents , e.g. sequential dispensing or simultaneous dispensing of two or more products without mixing them
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 9/10 Hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellant gases or chemicals

Abstract

A personal protection device having a size, configuration and appearance simulating a telephone pager or beeper but having the capability of emitting an incapacitating chemical spray in the event of an attack on the person. The device contains multiple canisters of compressed gas containing the chemical and a movable manifold unit which can be pressed to release a chemical stream from each of the canisters and at the same time integrate the streams to provide a single, forceful spray of debilitating chemical. The device in one embodiment also incorporates a high decibel alarm system to be used in conjunction with the chemical spray.

Claims

1. A method of defending against an attacker comprising the steps of:

a. providing a hollow housing having a size, configuration and appearance in simulation of a telephone pager;

b. deploying in said housing multiple canisters, each of which contains like combinations of compressed gas and incapacitating chemical adapted to be dispensed as a spray through a spray outlet in said housing;

c. aiming said spray outlet in the direction of said attacker and dispensing a dose of compressed gas and incapacitating chemical simultaneously from each of said canisters into a manifold through inlet orifices about 0.075 to 0.11" in diameter;

d. causing said doses to be collected and integrated in said manifold in an interior passage thereof which is about 0.11 to 0.13" in diameter; and

e. dispensing said integrated doses from said interior passage through a manifold outlet orifice about 0.035 to 0.065" in diameter;

whereby said combination of compressed gas and incapacitating chemical from each canister is dispensed into the atmosphere in the direction of said attacker in an integrated multiple dose spray having a spray range of at least 8 to 10 feet.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a safety slide carried by said housing and manually shiftable relative to the housing to and from a first position wherein said manifold unit is locked in an inoperative condition and a second position wherein said manifold unit may be moved by manual pressure on said button means to dispense compressed gas from said canisters.

2. A personal defense device adapted to be attached to the user'"'"'s person, comprising:

a. a hollow housing having a size, configuration and appearance in simulation of a telephone pager;

b. multiple canisters received on the interior of said housing in side-by-side relation, each of said canisters including a dispensing nozzle adapted for activation upon the inward movement thereof, and each of said canisters containing like combinations of compressed gas and incapacitating chemical adapted to be dispensed as a spray; and

c. a manifold unit movably deployed in said housing, with a single outlet orifice about 0.035 to 0.065" in diameter communicating with the atmosphere, with multiple inlet orifices about 0.075 to 0.11" in diameter individually engaging respective dispensing nozzles of said canisters, with an interior manifold passage about 0.11 to 0.13" in diameter, and with button means for moving said manifold unit towards said canisters to activate said nozzles;

whereby manual pressure on said button means causes simultaneous inward articulation of each of said nozzles in said canisters, thereby simultaneously dispensing a combination of compressed gas and incapacitating chemical from each canister in an integrated flow through said manifold unit and into the atmosphere through said outlet orifice in a multiple dose spray having a spray range of at least 8 to 10 feet.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said canisters of compressed gas contain oleoresin capsicum.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the interior walls of said housing are provided with guide means for stabilizing the movement of said manifold unit towards said compressed gas containers, to equilize the discharge of compressed gas from said canisters.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said guide means comprise rails on the interior walls of said housing, which register with slots in adjacent surfaces of said manifold unit.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said multiple canisters comprise two containers carrying about 1/2 ounce each of incapacitating spray material and wherein the said manifold unit has inlet orifices about 0.09 to 0.11" in diameter, an outlet orifice about 0.055 to 0.065" in diameter, and an interior manifold passage about 0.11 to 0.13" in diameter.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein said multiple canisters comprise three containers carrying about 1/4 ounce each of incapacitating spray material and wherein the said manifold unit has inlet orifices about 0.075 to 0.085" in diameter, an outlet orifice about 0.035 to 0.045" in diameter, and an interior manifold passage about 0.11 to 0.13" in diameter.

8. The device of claim 2 further comprising an electronic alarm unit stored on the interior of said housing and also battery means positioned therein to provide power for said alarm unit.