SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN DISTRIBUTING IRRITANT POWDER

• US 20090071459A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HS Defense, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pepperball Technologies Inc (United Tactical Systems, LLC)
• Inventors: Vasel, Edward J., Goode, Joseph L., Wenaas, Eric P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 124/71
• 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;

a barrel 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; 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 increasing pressure exceeding a burst threshold of the burst diaphragm, where the bursting of the burst diaphragm results 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 extending from a 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 propellant pressure 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 adjacent the burst diaphragm and positioned between the burst diaphragm and the source of the impulse pressure such that upon the activation the source of the impulse pressure delivers the gas to the expansion chamber such that the gas within the expansion chamber applies the increasing pressure to the burst diaphragm to burst the burst diaphragm releasing the compressed gas from the expansion chamber into the barrel to drive the inhibiting powder from the barrel.

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

a compressed gas cartridge storing compressed gas;

a puncture pin positioned relative to the compressed gas cartridge; and

the expansion chamber positioned relative to the puncture pin;

where the burst diaphragm is positioned between the expansion chamber and the inhibiting powder, such that upon activation one of the puncture pin and compressed gas cartridge is moved relative to the other such that the puncture pin punctures the compressed gas cartridge releasing the compressed gas into the expansion chamber resulting in the increasing pressure applied to the burst diaphragm to burst the burst diaphragm releasing the compressed gas to expel the loose inhibiting powder from the barrel.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a frame comprising the actuator; and

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

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cloud, generated upon propelling the loose inhibiting powder from the exit end of the barrel, extends out a distance, from the exit end of the barrel at the time the loose inhibiting powder exits the exit end of the barrel, of greater than about 8 feet.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cloud, within less than half a second from the loose inhibiting powder exiting the exit end of the barrel, has 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 loose 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 powder inhibiting substance between the powder inhibiting substance 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 powder inhibiting substance separating the powder inhibiting substance from an environment exterior to the barrel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cloud, within less than half a second from the inhibiting powder exiting the exit end of the barrel, has 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 cloud, within less than half a second from the inhibiting powder exiting the exit end of the barrel, has 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 cloud of inhibiting powder establishes a visible inhibiting barrier.

13. A launch system, comprising:

a frame;

a source of impulse pressure cooperated with the frame;

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

powder load positioned within an interior of the barrel, the powder load comprising a powdered inhibiting substance; and

a burst diaphragm secured between the source of the impulse pressure and the powder load, wherein the burst diaphragm retains the impulse pressure from the source of impulse pressure until a pressure of about equal to a burst threshold of the burst diaphragm such that the burst diaphragm bursts releasing a propellant pressure into the barrel to drive the powder load from the barrel in substantially an aerosol form generating a powder cloud of powder load extending from a exit end of the barrel.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an actuator cooperated with the source of impulse pressure, such that upon activation of the actuator the source of impulse pressure releases the impulse pressure, and the bursting of the burst diaphragm in response to impulse pressure launches, substantially instantaneously, substantially all of the powder load in response to a single actuation of the actuator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the powder cloud is configures to flow around glasses to contact a target'"'"'s eyes.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the powder cloud is dispersed within less than half a second from the single actuation of the actuator and has dimensions larger than an adult human torso and is configured to flow around obsticles to contact a target.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the powder load further comprises one or more inert powdered substances.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the powdered inhibiting substance comprises PAVA and the one or more inert powdered substances comprise barium sulfate.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the powdered inhibiting substance comprises one or more capsaicinoids and nonivamide.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the source of impulse pressure comprises:

a compressed gas cartridge storing compressed gas;

a puncture pin positioned relative to the compressed gas cartridge; and

an expansion chamber positioned between compress gas cartridge and the burst diaphragm;

where the burst diaphragm is positioned between the expansion chamber and the powder load, such that upon the activation one of the puncture pin and compressed gas cartridge is moved relative to the other such that the puncture pin punctures the compressed gas cartridge releasing the compressed gas into the expansion chamber resulting in the increasing pressure applied to the burst diaphragm to burst the burst diaphragm releasing the compressed gas to expel the powder load from the barrel creating the powdered cloud.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the burst diaphragm is configured to rupture and resulting in a burst opening having dimensions such that the retained impulse pressures is substantially instantaneously released into the barrel providing the propellant pressure to drive the powder load from the barrel in generating the powder cloud.

22. The system of claim 13, 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.

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

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

launching loose powder from a launch system; and

generating a powder cloud comprising the loose powder that has dimensions larger than a human torso.