Patent Publication Number: US-11639842-B2

Title: Personal defense device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to personal defense devices and more particularly pertains to a new personal defense device for projecting a lachrymator agent. The present invention discloses a pistol shaped device which can dispense a lachrymator agent onto a target, and which incorporates a flashlight and a fingerprint actuated trigger. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to personal defense devices, and in particular defense devices that project a lachrymator agent, such as pepper spray. Such prior art defense devices include pistol shaped devices which can dispense a lachrymator agent onto a target. What is lacking in the prior art is a personal defense device that is pistol shaped, incorporates a flashlight and a fingerprint actuated trigger, and which can dispense a lachrymator agent onto a target. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an L-shaped housing, which defines a barrel and a grip. The grip extends from a first end of the barrel. A valve is positioned in the barrel proximate to the grip. A channel extends from the valve to a second end of the barrel. A cavity extends into the grip so that the cavity is in fluidic communication with the valve. The grip is configured to selectively engage a cannister, which contains a lachrymator agent, that is inserted into the cavity so that the cannister is removably engaged to the L-shaped housing. An outlet of the cannister is operationally engaged to the valve. A trigger is engaged to the L-shaped housing and is operationally engaged to the valve. The trigger is configured to be triggered to selectively actuate the valve. The lachrymator agent is dispensed under pressure from the cannister through the channel toward a target that is in substantial alignment with the barrel. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is an isometric perspective view of a personal defense device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS.  1  through  5    thereof, a new personal defense device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  1  through  5   , the personal defense device  10  generally comprises an L-shaped housing  12 , which defines a barrel  14  and a grip  16 . The grip  16  extends from a first end  18  of the barrel  14 . A valve  20  is positioned in the barrel  14  proximate to the grip  16 . A channel  22  extends from the valve  20  to a second end  24  of the barrel  14 . A cavity  26  extends into the grip  16  so that the cavity  26  is in fluidic communication with the valve  20 . The grip  16  is configured to selectively engage a cannister  28 , which contains a lachrymator agent  30 , that is inserted into the cavity  26  so that the cannister  28  is removably engaged to the L-shaped housing  12 . The lachrymator agent  30  may comprise pepper spray, nonivamide, 2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile, dibenzoxazepine, phenacyl chloride, bromoacetone, xylyl bromide, and the like. 
     An outlet  32  of the cannister  28  is operationally engaged to the valve  20 . A trigger  34  is engaged to the L-shaped housing  12  and is operationally engaged to the valve  20 . The trigger  34  is configured to be triggered to selectively actuate the valve  20 . The lachrymator agent  30  is dispensed under pressure from the cannister  28  through the channel  22  toward a target that is in substantial alignment with the barrel  14 . 
     A battery  36  and a microprocessor  38  are positioned in the barrel  14 . The microprocessor  38  is operationally engaged to the battery  36  and the valve  20 . A trigger lock  40  is engaged to the L-shaped housing  12  and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  38  and the trigger  34 . The trigger lock  40  is positioned to selectively lock the trigger  34 . Mechanisms for locking triggers are known to those skilled in the art of trigger locks and may comprise latches, linear actuators, and the like. 
     A fingerprint sensor  42  is engaged to the trigger  34  is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  38 . The fingerprint sensor  42  is configured to authenticate a fingerprint of a user, positioning the fingerprint sensor  42  to signal the microprocessor  38  to actuate the trigger lock  40  to unlock the trigger  34 . 
     A selector  44  is engaged to the barrel  14  and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  38 . The selector  44  is configured to be manipulated by the user to signal the microprocessor  38  to enable the fingerprint sensor  42  and to set the valve  20  to allow a respective flow rate from the cannister  28 . For example, as shown in  FIG.  5   , a dial  46  can be selectively positioned in a safe setting, wherein the fingerprint sensor  42  is deactivated, a medium setting, wherein the fingerprint sensor  42  is actuated and the valve  20  is set for a medium flow rate, and a high setting, wherein the fingerprint sensor  42  is actuated and the valve  20  is set for a high flow rate. 
     An indicator  48  is engaged to the L-shaped housing  12  and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  38 . The indicator  48  may comprise a plurality of light emitting diodes  50 , which is positioned on opposed faces  52  of the grip  16  and opposed sides  54  of the barrel  14 , as shown in  FIGS.  2  and  3   , or other indicating means, such as, but not limited to, dials, electronic displays, and the like. 
     A flow sensor  56  is operationally engaged to the valve  20  and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  38 . The flow sensor  56  is configured to measure a flow of the lachrymator agent  30  through the valve  20  and to communicate volumetric readings to the microprocessor  38 . The microprocessor  38  is positioned to actuate the indicator  48  to display a volume of lachrymator agent  30  remaining in the cannister  28 . 
     A flashlight  58  is engaged to the barrel  14  and is operationally engaged to the trigger  34 . The trigger  34  is positioned to selectively actuate the flashlight  58  to project light past the second end  24  of the barrel  14 . The flashlight  58  is configured to selectively illuminate the target. The flashlight  58  can be positioned on a top  64 , a bottom  66  or a respective opposed side  54  of the barrel  14 . 
     The personal defense device  10  also may comprise a magazine  60 , which is configured for insertion of the cannister  28 . The magazine  60  is selectively insertable into the cavity  26  so that the magazine  60  is removably engaged to the L-shaped housing  12 . A release button  62  is engaged to the grip  16  and is selectively engageable to the magazine  60 . The release button  62  is configured to be depressed to release the magazine  60  and the cannister  28  from the L-shaped housing  12 . 
     In use, the cannister  28  is inserted into the magazine  60  and the magazine  60  then is inserted into the cavity  26 . Should a user encounter a threat, the selector  44  is switched from the safe setting to either the medium setting or the high setting. The user then positions their finger on the trigger  34 , whereupon the fingerprint sensor  42  authenticates the user&#39;s fingerprint to unlock the trigger  34 . The user then pulls the trigger  34  and the lachrymator agent  30  is dispensed under pressure from the cannister  28  through the channel  22  toward the threat. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.