Systems, methods and apparatus for use in distributing irritant powder

• US 7,752,974 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HS Defense, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pepperball Technologies Inc (United Tactical Systems, LLC)
• Inventors: Vasel, Edward J., Goode, Joseph L., Wenaas, Eric P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Troy; Daniel J
• Application Number:
  US12/233,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20090071459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 102/502, 102/367, 42/10.8, 42/11.5, 124/61, 124/64, 124/74, 124/71, 222/3, 222/4, 222/5, 222/389, 222/399, 222/391, 222/394
• US Class Current: 102/367
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/62 with pressure supplied by a gas cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/81 for ejecting powder, e.g. pepper
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 9/10 Hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellant gases or chemicals
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/46 for dispensing gases, vapours, powders or chemically-reactive substances F42B12/70 takes precedence

Abstract

The present embodiments provide apparatuses for use in launching an inhibiting powder. These embodiments comprise a source of impulse pressure that induces a propellant pressure, a barrel cooperated with the source of impulse pressure to receive the propellant pressure, inhibiting powder positioned within an interior of the barrel, a burst diaphragm secured between the source of the impulse pressure and the inhibiting powder, and an actuator that activates the source of impulse pressure to deliver an expanding gas producing an increasing pressure that is applied to the burst diaphragm where the burst diaphragm bursts when the applied pressure exceeding a burst threshold, resulting in a release of the propellant pressure into the barrel to drive the inhibiting powder from the barrel in substantially an aerosol form generating a cloud of inhibiting powder.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in launching an inhibiting powder, the apparatus comprising:

a source of impulse pressure that induces a propellant pressure in gas form;

the source of impulse pressure comprising a cartridge;

a frame housing the source of impulse pressure;

a barrel stationarily secured to the frame and cooperated with the source of impulse pressure to receive the propellant pressure;

inhibiting powder positioned within the barrel;

a burst diaphragm secured between the source of the impulse pressure and the inhibiting powder;

an actuator that activates the source of impulse pressure to deliver the gas to the burst diaphragm; and

a driver having a first arm and a second arm articulated one to the other at a joint, the joint being disposed adjacent to the cartridge, the actuator causing a lateral translation of the joint toward the cartridge that moves the cartridge toward a puncture member,

where a bursting of the burst diaphragm results in a release of the propellant into the barrel to drive the inhibiting powder from the barrel in substantially an aerosol form generating a cloud of the inhibiting powder extending from an exit end of the barrel and out a distance from the exit end of the barrel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inhibiting powder is positioned within the barrel such that the inhibiting powder is in contact with an interior surface of the barrel prior to the gas being delivered into the barrel, and the inhibiting powder continues to contact the interior surface of the barrel as the inhibiting powder travels along a portion of a length of the barrel to the exit end of the barrel to be propelled out of the exit end of the barrel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an expansion chamber situated between the source of impulse pressure and the burst diaphragm, the expansion chamber receiving the gas generated by the source of impulse pressure and releasing the gas into the barrel upon achieving a burst threshold of the burst diaphragm.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the source of impulse pressure comprises:

a cartridge providing a pressurized gas;

the puncture member comprising a puncture pin positioned relative to the cartridge; and

the expansion chamber positioned downstream of the puncture pin;

where the burst diaphragm is positioned between the expansion chamber and the inhibiting powder, such that upon activation the cartridge is moved toward the puncture pin causing the puncture pin to puncture the cartridge releasing the pressurized gas into the expansion chamber resulting in the burst threshold applied to the burst diaphragm to burst the burst diaphragm releasing the gas to expel the inhibiting powder from the barrel.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

the frame is coupled to the actuator, the actuator comprising a lever;

a barrel assembly comprising the barrel, burst diaphragm, and expansion chamber, where the barrel assembly is detachably secured with the frame; and

a safety latch extensible from a free end of the lever and engaging an opening in the frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the propellant pressure is such to cause the cloud, generated upon propelling the inhibiting powder from the exit end of the barrel, to extend out a distance, from the exit end of the barrel at the time the inhibiting powder exits the exit end of the barrel, of greater than about 8 feet.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the propellant pressure is such to cause the cloud, within less than half a second from the loose inhibiting powder exiting the exit end of the barrel, to have a diameter that is greater than about three feet, where the diameter is generally perpendicular to an axis of the barrel and distant from a position of the exit end of the barrel at the time the inhibiting powder exits the exit end.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a pusher element positioned, prior to the propellant pressure being delivered into the barrel, within the barrel proximate the inhibiting powder between the inhibiting powder and the source of propellant pressure such that the propellant pressure when delivered into the barrel is applied against the pusher element such that the pusher element drives the inhibiting powder out of the exit end of the barrel; and

a seal positioned, prior to the propellant pressure being delivered into the barrel, proximate the inhibiting powder separating the inhibiting powder from an environment exterior to the barrel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the propellant pressure is such to cause the cloud, within less than half a second from the inhibiting powder exiting the exit end of the barrel, to have a depth, from a position of the exit end of the barrel at a time the inhibiting powder is propelled from the exit end, that is greater than about five feet.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the propellant pressure is such to cause the cloud, within less than half a second from the inhibiting powder exiting the exit end of the barrel, to have dimensions, distant from a position of the exit end of the barrel at a time the inhibiting powder is propelled from the exit end, greater than an average sized adult human.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a membrane enclosing the inhibiting powder prior to the propellant pressure being delivered into the barrel, where the membrane ruptures, due to the force of the propellant pressure delivered into the barrel, prior to the inhibiting powder exiting the barrel releasing the inhibiting powder such that the inhibiting powder contacts an interior surface of the barrel as the inhibiting powder travels along a portion of a length of the barrel to be propelled out of the barrel.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the propellant pressure is such to cause the cloud of inhibiting powder to establish a visible inhibiting barrier.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the powder cloud is configured to flow around glasses to contact a target'"'"'s eyes.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the propellant pressure is such to cause the powder cloud to be dispersed within less than half a second from a single actuation of the actuator, to have dimensions larger than an adult human torso, and to flow around obstacles to contact a target.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the inhibiting powder is mixed with one or more inert powdered substances.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the inhibiting powder comprises PAVA and the one or more inert powdered substances comprise barium sulfate.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the inhibiting powder comprises one or more of capsaicinoids or nonivamide.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the burst diaphragm is configured to rupture and the expansion chamber has a burst opening dimensioned such that the retained impulse pressures is substantially instantaneously released into the barrel providing the propellant pressure to drive the inhibiting powder from the barrel in generating the powder cloud.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the bursting of the burst diaphragm generates an audible retort that is readily heard by a human at a distances of greater than 20 feet.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first arm and the second arm are articulated one to the other by being pivotably engaged to each other at the joint.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a driver stop positioned adjacent to the joint such to cause the first arm to be disposed at an angle relative to the second joint.

22. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the expansion chamber is formed by a plurality of expansion chambers having different diameters.

23. A method of providing an individual with protection, the method comprising:

Providing the individual with an apparatus for use in launching an inhibiting powder, the apparatus comprising,

a source of impulse pressure that induces a propellant pressure in gas form;

the source of impulse pressure comprising a cartridge;

a frame housing the source of impulse pressure;

a barrel stationarily secured to the frame and cooperated with the source of impulse pressure to receive the propellant pressure the inhibiting powder being positioned within the barrel;

a burst diaphragm secured between the source of the impulse pressure and the inhibiting powder;

an actuator that activates the source of impulse pressure to deliver the gas to an expansion chamber; and

a driver having a first arm and a second arm articulated one to the other at a joint, the joint being disposed adjacent to the cartridge, the actuator causing a lateral translation of the joint toward the cartridge that moves the cartridge toward a puncture pin,

wherein a bursting of the burst diaphragm results in a release of the gas into the barrel to drive the inhibiting powder from the barrel in substantially an aerosol form generating a cloud of the inhibiting powder extending from an exit end of the barrel and out a distance from the exit end of the barrel;

activating, in response to an actuation, the source of impulse pressure;

launching the inhibiting powder from the apparatus; and

generating a powder cloud comprising the inhibiting powder, the powder cloud having dimensions larger than a human torso.