EXPANDABLE BATON STRUCTURE WITH SMASHER

The present invention is to provide an expandable baton with a smasher at the front end of an inner rod thereof, wherein an impact groove, a tapered groove, an aligning groove, and a compression force application groove are sequentially formed in the smasher and the front end of the inner rod. A compression spring can push an impact block in the compression force application groove toward the impact groove in order to position a smashing rod in the corresponding grooves and expose a front conical portion of the smashing rod. When the conical portion is forcibly pressed against an object to-be-smashed, the smashing rod is partially pressed against the wall of the tapered groove and is thrusted into a hitting groove in the impact block upon aligning with the axis of the impact block. The impact block is then driven outward by the compression spring and drives the conical portion to smash the object.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an expandable baton, more particularly to an expandable baton with an inner rod whose front end is mounted with a smasher, wherein: an impact groove, a tapered groove, an aligning groove, and a compression force application groove are sequentially formed in the smasher and the front end of the inner rod; the smasher includes an impact block, a compression spring, and a smashing rod; the impact block is provided in the compression force application groove and is configured to be pushed toward the impact groove by the compression spring in order to position the smashing rod in the tapered groove, the aligning groove, and the impact groove, causing a conical portion at the front end of the smashing rod to be exposed outside the front end of the smasher; when a user presses the conical portion against a to-be-smashed object (e.g., a piece of tempered glass) and applies a force to the conical portion through the baton, the smashing rod is displaced toward the compression force application groove; and when a middle section of the smashing rod is pressed against the wall of the tapered groove and is gradually guided by the aligning groove into alignment with the axis of the impact block such that a rear section of the smashing rod is thrusted into a hitting groove concavely provided in the impact block, the impact block is driven outward by the huge elastic energy accumulated in the compression spring, hits the rear end of the smashing rod, and thereby drives the conical portion at the front end of the smashing rod to forcibly smash the to-be-smashed object. The user can hold the baton with ease and exert a very large force through the baton to the conical portion at the front end of the smashing rod in order for the highly elastic compression spring to accumulate enormous elastic energy, which subsequently drives the impact block to hit the smashing rod and, in turn, the conical portion to smash the to-be-smashed object regardless of the structural strength of the to-be-smashed object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today, the development of glass materials has reached a highly mature state thanks to technological advancements, giving rise to various types of glass that have different physical properties and applications, such as safety glass, tempered glass, thermally stable glass, low-expansion glass, laminated glass, and so on. These new types of glass have enhanced the quality of our daily lives but also form blind spots in terms of safety. For instance, doors and car windows made of tempered glass, which cannot be rapidly smashed without a proper tool, tend to hinder escape from a house, car, or other glass-enclosed environment where an accident (e.g., a fire or car crash) takes place. In addition, the sharp broken pieces of such tempered-glass obstacles are hard to remove and may therefore delay escape or rescue or even lead to tragic consequences.

A glass material of high structural strength such as tempered glass and safety glass is so difficult to smash that a rescue team member striking it with a hammer, bat, or other heavy object may be injured by the massive recoil of the striking tool in use. To break such a robust glass material effectively, the only way is to hit the material perpendicularly and vigorously with a pointed heavy object. Currently, referring toFIG. 1, the market is supplied with a tool11(e.g., a baton or flashlight) for use by the police and fire departments to smash glass obstacles, wherein the tool11is mounted with a conical smasher10. When a police officer or firefighter carrying out a raid or rescue operation encounters an obstacle12made of strong glass, he or she can take out the tool11immediately and hit the glass obstacle12with the smasher10in order to reduce the cohesive force within the glass obstacle12, thereby forming a breaking point in, and consequently shattering, the glass obstacle12to facilitate attack or rescue.

In use, however, the tool11leaves plenty of room for improvement. One major drawback consists in the fact that the smasher10is typically fixed at the top or bottom end of the tool11for portability, and that therefore one who uses the tool11must hold the tool11with the thumb facing themselves (seeFIG. 1) in order to apply a force to the smasher10and hit the glass obstacle12repeatedly. Nevertheless, the way the tool11is held makes it difficult not only for the user to exert a force on the smasher10, but also for the user to strike precisely the same spot on the glass obstacle12while moving the smasher10back and forth. As a result, the cohesive force within the glass obstacle12may stay intact even though the user has made great physical efforts, and failure to smash the glass obstacle12in time may bring about failure of the intended attack or rescue.

The issue to be addressed by the present invention is to design a novel expandable baton structure that, apart from being easy to carry for self-defense, is readily available during an attack or rescue and only has to be held by the user in order for the smasher on the baton to hit precisely the same spot on an obstacle made of strong glass and thereby generate an accumulated striking force large enough to reduce the cohesive force within, and consequently break, the glass obstacle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the fact that the conventional batons, hammers, and similar heavy objects cannot smash high-strength glass effectively, and that the tools currently used by police officers and firefighters to break such glass must be moved repeatedly over a great distance and hence present difficulties in aiming, the inventor of the present invention incorporated years of practical experience in research and development into extensive study and experiment and finally succeeded in developing an expandable baton structure with a smasher to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

One objective of the present invention is to provide an expandable baton structure having a smasher, wherein the expandable baton structure includes an outer tube and at least one inner rod in addition to the smasher. The outer tube is configured to be held by a user. The outer diameter of the inner rod is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube so that the inner rod can be retracted into the outer tube, leaving only the front end of the inner rod exposed outside the front end of the outer tube. The smasher is provided at the front end of the inner rod. An impact groove, a tapered groove, an aligning groove, and a compression force application groove are sequentially formed, in a front-to-rear direction, in the smasher and the front end of the inner rod and communicate with one another. The smasher includes an impact block, a compression spring, and a smashing rod. Also, the front end of the smasher is formed with an aperture communicating sequentially with the impact groove, the tapered groove, the aligning groove, and the compression force application groove. The aperture has a smaller diameter than the impact groove. The tapered groove tapers from the rear end of the impact groove toward the front end of the aligning groove, and the wall of the tapered groove forms a first tapered pressing surface. The aligning groove has a smaller diameter than the impact groove and the compression force application groove. The impact block is movably positioned in the compression force application groove. The front end of the impact block is configured to be pressed against a wall portion of the compression force application groove that is adjacent to the aligning groove. In addition, the front end of the impact block is concavely provided with a hitting groove corresponding to the aligning groove. The hitting groove has a smaller diameter than the aligning groove. The compression spring is positioned in the compression force application groove and has two ends respectively pressed against the rear end of the impact block and a wall portion of the compression force application groove that is away from the aligning groove, in order to push the impact block toward the aligning groove, and for the front end of the impact block to push the rear end of the smashing rod in turn, thereby positioning the smashing rod in the impact groove, the tapered groove, and the aligning groove, causing a conical portion at the front end of the smashing rod to be exposed outside the front end of the smasher. When the user presses the conical portion against a to-be-smashed object (e.g., a piece of tempered glass) and applies a force through the expandable baton to the conical portion, the smashing rod is displaced toward the compression force application groove. When a second tapered pressing surface formed by the wall of a middle section of the smashing rod is gradually pressed against the first tapered pressing surface, and the middle section of the smashing rod is gradually guided by the aligning groove into alignment with the axis of the impact block such that a rear section of the smashing rod instantly extends into the hitting groove, the impact block is driven outward by the huge elastic energy accumulated in the compression spring, hits the rear end of the smashing rod, and thereby drives the conical portion at the front end of the smashing rod to smash the to-be-smashed object.

A police officer or firefighter can hold the baton easily and apply a very large force through the baton to the conical portion at the front end of the smashing rod in order for the highly elastic compression spring to accumulate huge elastic energy. This elastic energy will then drive the impact block into motion, i.e., hitting the smashing rod and thus driving the conical portion to smash the to-be-smashed object regardless of the structural strength of the to-be-smashed object.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

During the development of the present invention, a “baton” was chosen as the tool with which a smasher is to be incorporated because a baton is operated mainly by a striking action and has an outer tube configured for gripping and force application and an inner tube that leaves much to be desired. Based on the expandable batons for which patent applications were respectively filed by the inventor, a novel baton structure was successfully designed as disclosed herein. According to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown inFIG. 2, an expandable baton structure with a smasher includes an outer tube21, at least one inner rod22, and a smasher4.

The outer tube21and the inner rod22form the basic structure of an expandable baton2. The outer tube21has a rear section configured to be held by the user. The outer diameter of the inner rod22is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube21. The inner rod22is movably (and sequentially if a plurality of inner rods22are provided) mounted into the outer tube21from the rear end of the outer tube21. The configuration of the rear end22aof the inner rod22matches the configuration of a portion21aof the outer tube21that is adjacent to the front end of the outer tube21. (For example, the rear end22aof the inner rod22flares slightly while the front end portion21aof the outer tube21is slightly reduced in the radial direction to enable engagement therebetween.) When the inner rod22is displaced in a direction outward of the front end of the outer tube21such that the rear end of the inner rod22reaches a position in the outer tube21that is adjacent to the front end of the outer tube21, the outer wall of the rear end of the inner rod22is engaged with the inner wall of a portion of the outer tube21that is adjacent to the front end of the outer tube21. Thus, a portion of the inner rod22that is adjacent to the rear end22aof the inner rod22is fixed in the outer tube21while the remaining portion of the inner rod22is exposed outside the front end of the outer tube21. When the inner rod22is received in the outer tube21, the rear end22aof the inner rod22is fixed by an engaging member21bat the rear end of the outer tube21, and only the front end of the inner rod22is exposed outside the front end of the outer tube21.

As shown inFIG. 2andFIG. 3A, the smasher4is provided at the front end of the inner rod22(or the front end of the innermost inner rod22if the expandable baton2has a plurality of inner rods22). Sequentially formed inside the smasher4and the front end of the inner rod22are, from front to rear, an impact groove41, a tapered groove411, an aligning groove412, and a compression force application groove42, all of which grooves are in communication with one another. The front end of the smasher4is formed with an aperture410, and the smasher4includes a base40, an impact block43, a compression spring44, and a smashing rod45. The base40is integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod22such that the aperture410communicates sequentially with the impact groove41, the tapered groove411, and the compression force application groove42. The aperture410has a smaller diameter than the impact groove41. The tapered groove411tapers from the rear end of the impact groove41toward the front end of the aligning groove412and has a wall forming a first tapered pressing surface4110. The aligning groove412has a smaller diameter than the impact groove41and the compression force application groove42.

As shown inFIG. 3A, the impact block43is movably positioned in the compression force application groove42and has a front end configured to be pressed against the wall of the compression force application groove42(e.g., against a wall portion of the compression force application groove42that is adjacent to the aligning groove412). In addition, the front end of the impact block43is concavely provided with a hitting groove430corresponding to and having a smaller diameter than the aligning groove412. The compression spring44is positioned in the compression force application groove42, has two ends respectively pressed against the rear end of the impact block43and a wall portion of the compression force application groove42that is away from the aligning groove412, and can therefore push the impact block43toward the aligning groove412.

To facilitate description of the structural features of the smashing rod45, the smashing rod45is divided into a front section450, a middle section451, and a rear section452. The front section450of the smashing rod45is formed with a conical portion4501. The middle section451matches the aligning groove412in diameter and has a wall portion adjacent to the rear section452and forming a second tapered pressing surface453. The axis of the smashing rod45can stay unaligned with the axis of the impact block43so that the rear end of the rear section452of the smashing rod45is pressed against the front end of the impact block43, preventing the rear section452of the smashing rod45from extending into the hitting groove430. Meanwhile, the front end of the impact block43pushes the rear end of the rear section452of the smashing rod45and thereby positions the smashing rod45in the impact groove41, the tapered groove411, and the aligning groove412, causing the conical portion4501to pass through the aperture410and be exposed outside the front end of the smasher4.

Referring toFIG. 2toFIG. 3B, a user may press the conical portion4501against an object to be smashed (e.g., a piece of tempered glass) and, by holding the expandable baton2, apply a force to the conical portion4501such that the smashing rod45is gradually displaced toward the compression force application groove42. When the second tapered pressing surface453of the wall of the middle section451of the smashing rod45is gradually pressed against the first tapered pressing surface4110, the middle section451of the smashing rod45is progressively guided by the aligning groove412and is eventually aligned with the axis of the impact block43. As the diameter of the middle section451matches that of the aligning groove412, the rear section452of the smashing rod45is thrusted into the hitting groove430as soon as the middle section451of the smashing rod45is perfectly aligned and corresponds to the hitting groove430(i.e., the state shown inFIG. 3B). Consequently, the impact block43is pushed outward by the huge elastic energy accumulated in the compression spring44, hits the rear end of the smashing rod45, and drives the conical portion4501at the front end of the smashing rod45to forcibly smash the object to be smashed. The functionality and applicability of the expandable baton2is thus enhanced with the smasher4on the expandable baton2.

In order for the smasher4in this embodiment to have high and effective smashing power, the conical portion4501at the front section450of the smashing rod45can be made of spring steel, bearing steel, or the like (or the smashing rod45can be integrally formed of spring steel or bearing steel) so as to have a Rockwell hardness value of58, which ensures that the conical portion4501can smash objects made of tempered glass of various grades. Moreover, the longitudinal length of the rear section452of the smashing rod45is greater than the longitudinal depth of the hitting groove430, and the diameter of the rear section452is smaller than that of the hitting groove430. This allows the compression spring44to transfer the huge impact energy accumulated therein to the smashing rod45through the impact block43when the rear section452of the smashing rod45is displaced into alignment with and hence instantly extends into the hitting groove430.

In this embodiment, the smasher4further includes an eccentric spring413. The eccentric spring413is positioned in the impact groove41and the tapered groove411and has two ends respectively pressed against a portion of the smashing rod45that is adjacent to the front section450and the wall of the tapered groove411. The eccentric spring413can thus push the smashing rod45toward the aperture410and drive the conical portion4510at the front section450of the smashing rod45out of the front end of the smasher4. The eccentric spring413must have lower elasticity than the compression spring44so that, once the rear section452of the smashing rod45is displaced into alignment with the hitting groove430, the impact block43will impact the rear end of the rear section452of the smashing rod45before the eccentric spring413adds to the impact force of the smashing rod45. When the smashing rod45completes a hitting action, the eccentric spring413renders the axis of the smashing rod45out of alignment with the axis of the impact block43, in order for the rear end of the rear section452of the smashing rod45to separate from the hitting groove430and be pressed against the front end of the impact block43once more.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown inFIG. 4AandFIG. 4B, the smashing rod45includes a first smashing rod45A and a second smashing rod45B. (The smashing rods45A and45B may be made of different materials. For example, the first smashing rod45A is made of spring steel while the second smashing rod45B is made of a softer material.) The first smashing rod45A is equivalent to the “front section450” in the previous embodiment (seeFIG. 3A), and the second smashing rod45B, to the “middle section451and rear section452” in the previous embodiment. The two ends of the eccentric spring413are pressed against the second smashing rod45B (e.g., against a shoulder portion protrudingly provided at the front end of the second smashing rod45B) and the wall of the tapered groove411respectively. The front end of the second smashing rod45B is configured to push the rear end of the first smashing rod45A toward the aperture410, thereby displacing the front end of the first smashing rod45A toward the aperture410, making the conical portion4501at the front end of the first smashing rod45A pass through the aperture410and therefore exposed outside the front end of the smasher4. This “two-section” structure of the smashing rod45is so designed that the first smashing rod45A is not integrally formed with but is pushed outward by the second smashing rod45B. Therefore, even though the second smashing rod45B is tilted (as shown inFIG. 4A, in which the axis of the second smashing rod45B is inclined with respect to that of the impact block43) while the expandable baton2has yet to be pressed against an object to be smashed, the axis of the first smashing rod45A stays parallel to that of the impact block43, allowing the conical portion4501at the front end of the first smashing rod45A to pass through the aperture410and jut out of the front end of the smasher4perpendicularly. This not only gives the expandable baton2a neat and visually pleasing look, but also makes it easier for the user to aim the smashing rod45precisely at a smashing point.

In the two embodiments described above, the base40of the smasher4is shown as integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod22. It is also feasible, however, that the base40is assembled section by section and then joined to the front end of the inner rod22to facilitate production. For example, referring toFIG. 5AtoFIG. 5Cin conjunction withFIG. 3A, the base40can be assembled in the following three ways:

(1) In one embodiment, referring toFIG. 5Ain conjunction withFIG. 3A, the rear end of the base40is integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod22, and the base40includes a rear base portion51, a middle base portion52, and a front base portion53. The base portions51˜53are sequentially and threadedly connected to form a single unit. The rear base portion51is integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod22. The compression force application groove42is provided in the rear base portion51. The rear end of the middle base portion52is fixed to the front end of the rear base portion51by threaded connection. The tapered groove411and the aligning groove412are provided in the middle base portion52. The rear end of the front base portion53is fixed to the front end of the middle base portion52by threaded connection. The aperture410is formed at the front end of the front base portion53. The impact groove41is provided in the front base portion53.

(2) In another embodiment, referring toFIG. 5Bin conjunction withFIG. 3A, the smasher4is an independent component to enable easy manufacture, and the base40includes a rear base portion51′, a middle base portion52′, and a front base portion53′. The base portions51′˜53′ are also sequentially and threadedly connected to form a single unit. The rear end of the front base portion53′ has an outer periphery provided with an external thread531to be fixed, by threaded connection, to a threaded connection groove (not shown) concavely provided at the front end of the inner rod22of the expandable baton2. In addition, the rear end of the front base portion53′ has an inner periphery configured to be fixed to the middle base portion52′ by threaded connection. In this “three-section” structure, the impact groove41is provided in the front base portion53′, the tapered groove411and the aligning groove412are provided in the middle base portion52′, and the compression force application groove42is provided in the rear base portion51′.

(3) In yet another embodiment, referring toFIG. 5Cin conjunction withFIG. 3A, the position of the external thread531may vary as needed, and the base40includes a rear base portion51″, a middle base portion52″, and a front base portion53″. The base portion51″˜53″ are sequentially and threadedly connected to form a single unit. The rear end of the rear base portion51″ has an outer periphery provided with an external thread511to be fixed, by threaded connection, to a threaded connection groove concavely provided at the front end of the inner rod22.

Referring back toFIG. 4AtoFIG. 5C, when the smashing rod45has a “two-section” structure as shown inFIG. 4A, the first smashing rod45A and the second smashing rod45B can be respectively positioned in different ones of the base portions51˜53,51′˜53′, or51″˜53″. For example, the first smashing rod45A is positioned in the front base portion53″ while the second smashing rod45B, in the middle base portion52″.

In addition, referring back toFIG. 2andFIG. 3A, the smasher4may further include a cover46. The cover46matches the front end of the smasher4(i.e., the front end of the base40) in configuration in order to be mounted on the front end of the smasher4(e.g., by threaded connection or mutual engagement) and cover the conical portion4501. To use the smasher4, the cover46must be removed, and the inner rod22of the expandable baton2, retracted into the outer tube21to bring the expandable baton2to the shortest state. Then, the smasher4can be used to smash an object to be smashed.

Moreover, the expansion mechanism of the expandable baton2is not limited to that shown inFIG. 2; other expansion mechanisms may be used instead, such as the one disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application No. 102133170, filed by the inventor of the present invention. As the expansion mechanism of an expandable baton is well known in the art, no further description is provided herein.