Protective device

A protective device attachable to outer garment for self-protection of a person against criminal attack comprises an ornamental, pliable, hollow body having inserted therein an easily breakable ampul containing a volatile foul smelling fluid which is emitted through apertures in the body of the device when the ampul is fractured by squeezing said body. When worn by a woman, the device is particularly useful for deterring an assault by a rapist.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention pertains to a protective device. More particularly, the 
invention relates to a self-protective device for use in deterring a 
criminal assault on a person, especially a woman. 
As reported by news media, incidents of assaults on woman, particularly 
rapes, occur every day in parks, college campuses and their residences. 
For example, Stanford University has recently reported, as a result of a 
3-year survey of 2400 students, that one-third of the women students have 
been raped on the University campus. In addition, a recent release by the 
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee reports that more than 100,000 woman were 
raped in 1990 and woman are in greater peril now from attack than they 
have ever been. Accordingly, it becomes imperative that woman be provided 
with a reliable means of protection which would incapacitate the attacker 
and interrupt his assault. 
Various types of devices for self-protection of a woman from threat of rape 
or other bodily injury intended by a man have been suggested. Such devices 
include aerosol weapons containing tear or nerve gas. However, their use 
is unlawful in many states. Other non-lethal or lethal handguns and a 
variety of common household objects have been used by woman at the time of 
being confronted by a criminal. However it is often difficult to find an 
object which could be used immediately as a defensive weapon. While patent 
references relating to the subject of personal protection against 
attackers are scarce, U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,844 to Miyada relates to an 
anti-crime device in the form of a spike-needle comprising steel wires for 
attachment to fur coats or similar garments. A book entitled "Are you a 
target" by Judith Fein (1981) explores ways of preventing attacks against 
the will of an intended victim. 
While the above-mentioned devices are useful but not entirely adequate as 
they are often not readily available when needed for self-protection, the 
present invention provides a new and simple approach for a protective 
device especially developed to deter or prevent an assault by a rapist or 
another type of a criminal. The device of this invention overcomes the 
disadvantages of prior practices and offers an added advantage of being 
activated at once by a woman in the event of an unexpected attack. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing, it is the principal object of the invention to 
provide an improved protective device specifically adapted for prevention 
of a criminal attack on a woman by an assailant, particularly a rapist. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a small anti-crime 
and anti-rape device containing a repellent, malodorous fluid, the device 
being adapted for wearing by a person to be used for immediate preventive 
action when needed by quick emission of such fluid. 
Still another object of this invention is the provision of a device in the 
form of a decorative item for attachment to woman's outer garment, the 
device being highly effective in deterring an assault by a rapist. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a pliable device for 
personal safety, as described herein, which can be manufactured in large 
quantities at a low cost from readily available materials. 
These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent 
from the following description when considered in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the invention described herein in its preferred 
embodiment, there is provided a protective device for deterring a forcible 
attack by an assailant against a person, said device being attachable to a 
garment or another accessory worn by said person, comprising: a pliable 
and flexible body having a cavity and an opening adapted for insertion of 
an ampul into said cavity; an easily breakable ampul containing a volatile 
malodorous fluid, said ampul being placed within said cavity; a closing 
means shaped to fit said opening; at least one duct in said closing means 
or in said body for air passage therethrough; and a fastening means 
secured to external surface of said body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings, protective device 10, as illustrated in FIG. 
1, is designed to be worn by a woman as an attachment to a garment, such 
as a blouse, a dress or a coat by a suitable fastening means employed for 
jewelry articles, such as a clasp 28 shown in FIG. 6 or an adhesive tape, 
such as Velcro. The device may also be attached to a jewelry item worn by 
a woman, such as a bracelet or a necklace by means of an eyelet 30 shown 
in FIG. 7 or any other suitable fastener. The wearing of device 10 having 
appearance of an accessory or an article of jewelry on the outer side of a 
garment is intended to be inconspicuous so that an assailant approaching 
his selected victim will not be alerted by its deterrent and protective 
function. Accordingly, device 10 may be formed in various shapes, such as 
oval, oblong, round, rectangular, etc. and the body 12 may be translucent, 
opaque or tinted in a variety of colors. Moreover, the outer front surface 
of body 12, such body being made of a pliable, flexible and resilient 
material, such as plastic or rubber, may be provided with a decorative 
ornament, such as a floral design 13, as shown by way of an example in 
FIG. 1, or any other artistic pattern. Device 10 may also be made in the 
form of an animal, such as a cat, a dog, a bird, etc., as well as in the 
form of a brooch, a pin, an emblem and the like. Device 10 is made in a 
relatively small size, generally from 1 in. to 3 inches or even somewhat 
longer, if desired. 
It is one of the important features of the invention that device 10 is 
hollow, as it comprises an inner cavity 14 extending substantially 
throughout the length of body 12, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. 
Cavity 14 is provided with an opening 22 specifically adapted for 
insertion of ampul 16 therein. It will be understood, therefore, that the 
size of opening 22 must be somewhat larger than the outer diameter of 
ampul 16 to permit an easy insertion thereof into the cavity 14. Ampul 16 
is in the form of an elongate, generally cylindrical, sealed and easily 
breakable container made of thin glass or a similar plastic material, such 
as usually employed in the manufacture of ampuls containing liquid 
medications for hypodermic injections. 
It is another important feature of the present invention that ampul 16 is 
filled with a non-lethal, volatile, foul-smelling fluid 17 which is 
emitted instantaneously into cavity 14 when ampul 16 is broken and then 
rapidly thereafter into the area adjacent device 10 through a plurality of 
air passages or ducts 26 disposed in closing means 18 and/or similar ducts 
27 in body 12 arranged in several locations thereof. 
Fluid 17, which is characterized by a strong, unpleasant odor, may comprise 
one of the known gaseous or liquid chemical substances, preferably a 
sulfur-containing compound, such as a mercaptan, including methanethiol, 
mercaptoethanol, hydrogen sulfide and others. Any fluid of this type is 
encapsulated by any well known proceddure in ampul 16 which is impermeably 
sealed so that it will not release the foul odor from fluid 17 until it is 
fractured. 
Closing means 18, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 in greater detail, is shaped 
to fit opening 22 which is dimensioned specifically to form an airtight 
seal therewith. Closing means 18 is generally in the form of a plug, such 
as a screw cap having an externally threaded portion 20 which is adapted 
for threading engagement with inner surface 24 of opening 22 which is 
threaded correspondingly. Other types of closing means 18, such as a plug, 
the portion 21 of which has a smooth surface adapted for engagement with 
the circular smooth wall of opening 22, are likewise suitable for 
insertion into opening 22. 
Closing means 18 is provided with at least one duct 26 or, preferably, with 
a plurality thereof, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, wherein three ducts are 
included by way of an example. Each duct 26 extends throughout the length 
of closing means 18, thereby providing air passage between cavity 14 and 
the outside of closing means 18. A plurality of similar ducts 27 may also 
be provided in body 12 extending throughout the thickness thereof and 
being arranged in several locations, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The 
provision of ducts 26 or 27 is essential for the function of the invention 
to permit the malodorous gas or vapor from fluid 17 to escape from cavity 
14 therethrough when ampul 16 is fractured. Although the size of ducts 26 
and 27 is not critical, their diameter from about 1/32 in. to about 1/4 
in. is generally satisfactory. 
In order to prevent a too rapid outward flow of fluid 17 when in the form 
of a liquid from cavity 14 through ducts 26 or 27, ampul 16 may be covered 
or overlaid with an absorbent fibrous or the like material 32 which would 
retain a portion of fluid 17 for a somewhat longer period of time before 
release of its stench into the area outside of device 10. 
It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have devised a 
novel, self-protective device especially adapted for a readily accessible 
use in deterring an attack on a woman, particularly an attempt of rape. 
When the device of this invention is placed in operative position by a 
person wearing it as described hereinabove, it is sufficient to apply 
pressure thereon by merely squeezing its body by hand to flex it causing 
the ampul housed in the interior thereof to fracture, thereby releasing 
immediately a foul odor on the outside of the device. Such odor is so bad 
and disagreeable to the attacker that it will interrupt his violent 
assault on the intended victim due to impairment of his agressive attempt 
and a temporary sexual dysfunction thus preventing the attacked woman from 
being raped or otherwise forcefully overwhelmed by man's physical 
strength. The device of my invention is particularly useful for wearing by 
joggers and woman walking alone after dark or being alone in their homes, 
thereby offering them personal security. In view of simplicity of its 
design and availability of the materials required for its construction, 
the device may be produced inexpensively in large volume. 
It will be understood that changes or modifications in the form or in the 
constructional details of my invention as herein described may be made 
without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the claims which 
follow.