Method and apparatus for increasing the effectiveness of electrical discharge weapons

Abstract

A cartridge for propelling a pair of wire-tethered contact darts for disabling a remote target with an electrical discharge. The cartridge comprises two bores each having one wire-tethered dart in front of an electrically activated pyrotechnic. In order to avoid creating short arcing gaps after ignition of the pyrotechnics, the pyrotechnics are connected in electrical parallel with the wire-tethered darts so that current passing through the target does not have to arc across gaps left by the pyrotechnics. Two embodiments are presented, one in which the pyrotechnics are in series with the other and one in which they are in parallel relation to each other.

1 . In an immobilization weapon of the type which employs expanding gas to propel a pair of wire-tethered contact darts toward a remote target and applies a high voltage between the contact darts to temporarily disable the target; a method of reducing inadvertent high voltage arcing that would otherwise limit the efficacy of the weapon; the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) placing a first end of a first pyrotechnic device adjacent a first wire-tethered dart;    b) placing a first end of a second pyrotechnic device adjacent a second wire-tethered dart;    c) electrically interconnecting respective second ends of said first and second pyrotechnic devices; and    d) directly connecting said first and second wire-tethered darts through their respective wire tether to a switchable high voltage source.    
   
   
       2 . In an immobilization weapon of the type which employs expanding gas to propel a pair of wire-tethered contact darts toward a remote target and applies a high voltage between the contact darts to temporarily disable the target; a method of reducing inadvertent high voltage arcing that would otherwise limit the efficacy of the weapon; the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) placing a first end of a first pyrotechnic device adjacent a first wire-tethered dart;    b) placing a first end of a second pyrotechnic device adjacent a second wire-tethered dart;    c) directly connecting said first and second wire-tethered darts through their respective wire tethers to a switchable high voltage source having opposite polarity outputs;    d) electrically connecting a second end of said first pyrotechnic device to the polarity output of said high voltage source to which said second wire-tethered dart is connected; and    e) electrically connecting a second end of said second pyrotechnic device to the polarity output of said high voltage source to which said first wire-tethered dart is connected.    
   
   
       3 . (canceled)  
   
   
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       6 . (canceled)