Patent Publication Number: US-2011053694-A1

Title: Hand-held anti-assault weapon

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/272,178, filed Aug. 27, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention pertains generally to hand-held anti-assault weapon for inflicting an injury upon an attacker. More particularly, the invention pertains to a hand-held anti-assault weapon with a serrated surface for raking over the face, arms, or other body parts of an attacker while collecting a DNA specimen from the attacker. 
     Various anti-assault weapons that deter, or repel, attackers have been devised and implemented. Such weapons, to be effective, must inflict intense pain upon the attacker to deter the attack. Known anti-assault weapons rely upon electrical shocks administered to the attacker, or pepper sprayed in the face and eyes of the attacker. Other known anti-assault weapons are shaped as batons or clubs, and the weapon is swung to deliver sharp blows to the attacker. 
     Anti-assault weapons must be relatively light in weight, so that a relatively small, potential victim can punish a would-be attacker. Furthermore, the anti-assault weapon should be capable of storage in a relatively small space, such as a woman&#39;s handbag or the glove box of a car. Lastly, the anti-assault weapon must be shielded, or covered, in some manner, when not in use, so that the user is not accidentally hurt by the weapon. 
     A representative personal defense device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,372, granted Jan. 21, 1986 to August R. Werth. Such patent discloses a hand-held device provided with a piercing member ( 32 ) mounted on the end of a handle ( 12 ). The piercing member is normally sheathed by a tubular protective housing ( 14 ) reciprocal against spring bias ( 44 ) from a finite position shielding the piercing member to a position wherein at least the tip of the piercing member projects beyond the tubular housing. 
     Another representative personal defense device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,572, granted Feb. 8, 2000, to Robert L. Smith. Such patent discloses a stabbing point ( 8 ) covered by a retractable cover ( 4 ). The cover may be slidably retracted into a body cavity ( 10 ) by the pressure of the contacting object on a cover thrusting surface. The stabbing point, which is rigid to a grippable handle ( 5 ), is exposed by the retracting cover. An alarm ( 20 ) is switched internally by the motion of the cover, thus eliminating manual operation of a switch by the riser during emergencies. Button  24  cooperates with holes ( 22 ) to control the travel of the cover the spike point. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Consequently, with the shortcomings of known anti-assault devices clearly in mind, the invention relates to a relatively simple, hand-held, anti-assault weapon that is versatile, effective, and compact enough to fit into a woman&#39;s handbag or a pocket on an article of men&#39;s clothing. The invention employs a hollow, cylindrical rigid tube, of metal or hard plastic; the opposite ends of the tube are open, and the opposite ends of the tube may be internally threaded. A reversible end cap is screwed into engagement with at least one end of the tube. In its normal position, the end cap presents a serrated surface that may be raked across the face and arms of an attacker to inflict pain, while collecting a DNA sample for testing at a later time. In its second, or reversed, position, a small sharp knife is exposed while the serrated surface is hidden within the interior of the hollow tube. The reversible end cap is retained in locked position by a bayonet coupling. 
     A second end cap may be used to seal the opposite end of the tube, and money or other small, precious items may be stored in the interior of the tube. The second end cap may anchor keys, whistles, small lights, etc., so that the person carrying the anti-assault may use same in the same fashion as a key chain. 
     Alternatively, a simple screw cap may be substituted for the second end cap and a key ring and a ring for a whistle may be passed through holes drilled through the hollow body adjacent the end remote from the end cap. 
     The invention requires a minimum number of components, that are easy to manufacture and assemble, thereby leading to production at a reasonable price. The hollow body, preferably cylindrical in shape, may be made of steel, or a rigid plastic, and may be provided with ridges or gripping surfaces on its exterior. The anti-assault weapon may be used in an instinctive manner, and may be included in the teaching of self defense and martial arts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of applicant&#39;s anti-assault weapon; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of an end cap secured to one end of the hollow body of the anti-assault weapon; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the end cap of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the end cap of  FIG. 2 , and a bayonet coupling for securing the end cap to the body of the anti-assault weapon; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the end cap of  FIG. 2 , in its reversed position, with a knife projecting therefrom; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of two end caps, each end cap presenting a different pattern of serration for capturing a DNA sample. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows applicant&#39;s anti-assault weapon indicated generally by reference numeral  10 . Weapon  10  comprises a hollow rigid cylinder  12 , with a screw cap  14  sealing one end of the cylinder, and an end cap  16  sealing the opposite end. A plurality of keys  17 , and whistle  19 , are secured by metal rings  18 ,  20  to end cap  16 . The hollow cylinder of the weapon is small enough, at four-five inches or so, to be held in the hand of a woman as she walks toward her car, or her home, or some other destination. The cylinder is preferably made of metal, but a rigid, durable plastic may also be used. Grooves or gripping surfaces may be formed on the cylinder to increase gripping strength. 
     End cap  16  is screwed into engagement with interior threads  25  on the end of cylinder  12  remote from the keys, whistle, miniature light, etc. Threaded stub shaft  22  projects axially outwardly, from end cap  16 . The exposed face of stub shaft  22  is defined by serrations or ridges  24 . Serrations  24  may be raked across the face, or neck, of an attacker, who attempts to physically harm the person carrying the anti-assault weapon. The serrations gather skin tissue, DNA, etc. from the would be attacker, in addition to inflicting pain or discomfort upon the attacker. The collected DNA etc. may be helpful in identifying the attacker, as well, as thwarting or dissuading him. 
     End cap  16  includes an inwardly projecting stud, or stub shaft, with threads  23  defined on its exterior. Exterior threads  23  are advanced into secure engagement with screw threads  25  formed on the interior wall of hollow cylinder  12  to lock the end cap in fixed position. 
     Alternatively, as suggested in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , pins  26 ,  28  may be formed on the exterior of end cap  16 . The pins cooperate with an L-shaped notch  30  to define a bayonet connection that firmly locks end cap  16  in fixed position. The bayonet coupling may be used to supplement the threaded engagement of shank  22  on end cap  16  with the interior threads on cylinder  16 , or in lieu thereof. 
     Serrations  24  are shown on end cap  16 , for the purposes described above. However, if the woman holding the anti-assault weapon decides that a more aggressive course of action is warranted, she may reverse end cap  16  by unscrewing same or overcoming the bayonet connection. The reversal places serrations  24  into the hollow interior of cylinder  12 , while exposing knife blade  32  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The blade can inflict deep puncture wounds on the would be attacker, if used with a plunging motion. 
       FIG. 6  shows two end caps in side by side relation. The end cap to the left shows serrations  34 A that are different in size, shape, and position than serrations  24  shown in  FIG. 3 . The end cap to the right shows a pattern of raised blocks  36 B, that are spaced in an offset manner. 
     Modifications and revisions may occur to the skilled artisan, when informed by the photographs and detailed description. For example, knife blade  32  may be removed from the anti-assault weapon, so that the weapon may be carried onto airplanes, through security in public buildings, schools, stadiums, public gatherings, and the like. A barrier may be formed, or inserted within the interior of body  12  to form a storage compartment  40 , shown in  FIG. 1 ; currency may be tightly rolled and inserted into compartment  40  for safekeeping. Other modifications to applicant&#39;s invention, with its ability to capture DNA specimens for subsequent testing to identify an assailant, or would be attacker, will occur to the skilled artisan. Consequently, the appended claims should be construed broadly in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention, and should not be limited to their exact terms.