Abstract:
A dual purpose self-defense device is provided that includes a retractable knife and a chemical agent spray unit. The device comprises an outer body that contains a spray chamber that houses a spray unit and a blade chamber that houses a retractable blade. The spray unit further comprises a chemical agent-containing spray canister and a spray head, the spray head including a spray trigger and a spray nozzle. The spray canister may be reversibly or irreversibly connected with the spray head. The outer body includes a blade actuator that extends the blade from the blade chamber through a slit in the outer body. The spray unit chamber is accessed through a spray chamber hatch in a bottom surface of the outer body. The spray canister includes a lachrymatory agent such as pepper spray that is released via the spray nozzle when the spray trigger is pressed.

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 61/808,219, filed. Apr. 4, 2013. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to self-defense and combat devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Personal defense devices are important and ubiquitous in both civilian and combat settings. Personal defense devices such tasers, pepper spray, mace and knives are commonly used for personal safety by civilians, police and military. There is always a need and advantage to designed self defense devices with improved characteristics such as size, weight, and effectiveness. It is particularly advantageous to have a self device that provides more than one mode of defense to increase effectiveness and eliminate the need for carrying multiple devices. It is further desirable to have a dual function device that is convenient and does not add considerable increases in size or weight. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A dual purpose self-defense device is provided that includes a retractable knife and a chemical agent spray unit. The device comprises an outer body that contains a spray chamber that houses a spray unit and a blade chamber that houses a retractable blade. The spray unit further comprises a chemical agent-containing spray canister and a spray head, the spray head including a spray trigger and a spray nozzle. The spray canister may be reversibly or irreversibly connected with the spray head. The outer body includes a blade actuator that extends the blade from the blade chamber through a slit in the outer body. The spray unit chamber is accessed through a spray chamber hatch in a bottom surface of the outer body. The spray canister includes a lachrymatory agent such as pepper spray that is released via the spray nozzle when the spray trigger is pressed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0005]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of the knife-side of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device with the knife in a deployed state. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1B  illustrates a perspective view of the spray-side of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device with the knife in a deployed state. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device with the knife in a non-deployed state. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates an isometric view of chemical agent spray unit removal or replacement. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 4A-B  illustrate perspective views of an alternate embodiment of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device that utilizes a switchblade style knife. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates an isometric view of a second alternate embodiment of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device with an integrated nozzle head that accepts pressurized replacement canisters. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The present invention provides a consolidated yet adaptable self-defense device that is ideal for use in police and military/combat settings, as well as personal or home defense. The device combines a knife and a chemical agent (such as pepper spray) into one handheld weapon. The chemical agent is generally intended to be the user&#39;s first line of defense, while the extendible knife provides a second line of defense. 
         [0012]      FIGS. 1A-B  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device  100  with the knife in a deployed state. The device consists of a cylindrical, ergonomic body that fits comfortably into the hand of a typical user.  FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of the knife-side of the device  100 . The adaptable dual purpose self-defense device  100  combines a chemical agent spray unit  110  (i.e. spray unit) with a double action OTF (out the front) knife  130  into a single-body design with two containment chambers: a chemical agent spray chamber  105  (i.e. spray chamber) and a blade chamber  140 . The blade chamber further comprises an actuator  145  (e.g. sliding or press-able button) for extending the blade  135  upward or retracting it downward as desired. The blade can be extended, for example, using a spring-assisted mechanism. As shown, the blade actuator  145  comprises a sliding button that travels within a vertical track along the axis of the device. The base of the device  100 , specifically the base of the spray chamber  105 , has a spray chamber hatch  150  in the form of a hinged or sliding hatch is opened for replacing the chemical agent spray unit (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0013]      FIG. 1B  shows a perspective view of the spray-side of the device. The spray head  120  of the spray unit  110  protrudes almost entirely out of the top of spray chamber  105  (discussed further in  FIG. 2 ). The spray head  120  possesses a spray trigger  125  at its posterior side (the side opposing its evacuation point), that comprises a flat press-able surface lying perpendicular to the vertical axis of the spray unit—a trait typical to most pepper spray devices. The present invention allows for user placement of any suitable third-party spray unit into the interior of the spray chamber. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device with the knife in an un-deployed (i.e. housed) state. Features at the top of the device  200  are shown with greater detail. As briefly described in  FIG. 1 , the spray unit  210  has a spray head  220  that protrudes from the chamber opening  219 . The canister portion of the chemical agent fits snugly within the chamber, its top surface making contact with the top interior surface of the chamber (the surface running parallel to the canister&#39;s top surface), and its bottom surface making contact with the bottom interior surface of the spray chamber hatch  250  (the surface running parallel to the canister&#39;s bottom surface). The spray unit  210  is held in place by the two boundaries which are on opposing ends of its vertical axis—perpendicular to it, effectively preventing it from vibrating unnecessarily within the chamber. The spray head  220  of spray unit  210  also includes a spray nozzle  223  (now un-obscured by the retracted blade) which faces the knife, although it may be rotated to face other directions. Naturally, the spray nozzle  223  is the tube or hole from which the chemical agent is expelled from the spray canister (shown in  FIG. 3 ) as known in the art. For the rotational state shown in  FIG. 2 , if the user were to depress the spray trigger  225 , the resulting stream of expelled chemical agent would be in a direction perpendicular to the knife, intersecting the aforementioned vertical axis. Blade extension and retraction are accomplished by moving the blade actuator  245  upward and downward respectively—along the height of the aforementioned vertical axis. With the blade retracted through the blade slit  255  and into the blade compartment, the device  200  becomes compact and highly portable. Another strategic advantage to the device&#39;s adaptability is that the device becomes less threatening, and safer to use, with the blade housed within blade chamber  240 . Thus, the invention provides a dual purpose device in a convenient form with minimal increase in size and weight. This provides a tactical advantage by eliminating the need for carrying, and switching between, two separate devices. 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an isometric view showing the removal/replacement of the chemical agent spray unit  310  as is necessary when the chemical agent becomes depleted such that a new spray canister is required. To remove or replace the chemical agent spray unit, the user must simply open the spray chamber hatch  350  via a sliding motion or a hinged motion. Motion arrow  302  indicates the latter movement, and subsequent opening or closing of the hatch. With the spray chamber  350  hatch open, the chemical agent chamber&#39;s  305  interior becomes exposed at the lowest point on its vertical axis, and can now have its contents emptied and/or accept a new spray unit through this opening. Double-sided motion arrow  301  indicates the insertion or removal of a chemical agent spray unit  310  into or out of the chamber. For insertion, the chemical agent spray unit is inserted and pushed upward until the top surface of its canister  315  makes contact with the top interior surface of the chamber  305 , as described in  FIG. 2 . This results in the spray head  320  protruding almost entirely out of the chamber through the chamber opening  319 . Replacement canisters need merely to fit properly into the device&#39;s interior spray chamber, while not interfering with any components found on the exterior of the device. 
         [0016]      FIGS. 4A-B  illustrate perspective views of an alternate embodiment of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device that utilizes a switchblade style knife. This embodiment of the invention maintains the effectiveness and the device, with a blade that is still hidden when retracted and not in use (allowing utilization of the chemical agent only), while also maintaining the device&#39;s adaptability through an alternate method of knife deployment.  FIG. 4A  shows that, as in the previous embodiment, the device  400  comprises a dual chamber design, with a chemical agent chamber  405  and a blade chamber  440 . As well, the canister hatch  450  remains, located at the bottom end of the device. The chemical agent chamber  405  houses a chemical agent spray unit  410  with spray head  420  and spray nozzle  423 . In this embodiment, the switchblade  436  is deployed by depressing the blade actuator  446  (e.g. button sliding switch). This deploys the blade into a usable extended position via a spring-loaded mechanism affected by the button, and the subsequent 180 degree rotation typical to switchblade style knives.  FIG. 4A  depicts the blade partially swung out from the interior of its blade chamber  440 , while  FIG. 4B  depicts the blade in its full upright position—ready for use as a second form of defense (or other purpose). Additionally, as with many switchblade style knives, the blade may require a manual returning action to swing it back into its original position within the blade chamber. 
         [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates an isometric view of a second alternate embodiment of the adaptable dual purpose self-defense device with an integrated nozzle head that accepts pressurized replacement canisters. The present embodiment of the invention again provides a combination knife/chemical agent set of weaponry on a single body design. It is a dual chamber device, including a blade chamber  540  and a chemical agent chamber  505 . The procedure for exposing the interior of the chemical agent spray chamber  505  remains the same here as in the previous two embodiments, involving the sliding or swinging open of the canister hatch  550  via motion arrow  502 . Differently in this embodiment is the nature of the chemical agent unit&#39;s attachment/replacement method. With a spray head  520  that is permanently integrated into the top portion of the chemical agent chamber body, the device instead accepts dedicated replacement canisters  511  which are removed from or pushed upward into the interior of the chemical agent chamber  505  via motion arrow  503 , and are rotationally engaged with the bottom portion of the spray head  520  via the threaded portion  591  found on the canister. Using a method known in the art, the standard pressurized attachment component  590  found on the top portion of the canister  511  pops into place when the canister is sufficiently rotated, indicating a state of pressurized equilibrium between the canister and the spray head, whereby depressing the spray trigger  525  would result in evacuation of the canister&#39;s chemical contents in a manner similarly described in the previous embodiments. 
         [0018]    While there have been described herein what are considered to be preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, other modifications of the invention shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein. For example, the relative dimensions of the device may be altered while keeping within the spirit and teachings of the invention. It is therefore desired to be secured, in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.