Patent ID: 7930977

Claim:
Non-lethal ammunition for the controlled delivery of a projectile to a target, comprising: a cup-shaped casing, said casing including a high-pressure expansion chamber to receive an explosive propellant; a cylindrical projectile, said projectile being expellably mounted in said casing and comprised of a non-rupturable material adapted to remain intact and not burst into pieces following a violent impact, said projectile including, respectively, rearward and forward end portions, said rearward end portion and said casing cooperating to form a low-pressure chamber when the projectile is mounted to the casing; an impact nose secured to the forward end portion of said projectile; and a gas diffuser system for receiving high pressure propellant gases from the high-pressure expansion chamber and delivering the high pressure propellant gases from the high-pressure expansion chamber into the low-pressure chamber following substantially complete and uniform burning of the explosive propellant, said diffuser system being axially spaced from said projectile; and wherein said gas diffuser system includes a gas diffuser plug, the gas diffuser plug including a cup-shaped body having a hollow interior and a delay sleeve of degradable material, said cup-shaped body including a sidewall having an interior surface, an upper end, an open lower end, and at least one gas outlet port in said sidewall, and said delay sleeve being disposed in said hollow interior and in facing and closing relation with and against said interior surface and said gas outlet port.