Compressed gas personal protection device

Abstract

A hand carryable, non-lethal personal protection device using compressed gas for operation. In some embodiments the device uses the compressed gas to create and shoot a vortex of air at the target. In other embodiments, the compressed gas can be used to shoot a burst of atomized water at the attacker. In still other embodiments the device uses the compressed gas to shoot ammunition, such as a ring airfoil, O-ring, bean bag, or other non-lethal blunt trauma munitions at the target. In still further embodiments, the device is modular in its construction, and can be used to apply the compressed gas to various different attachments.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A non-lethal weapon, comprising:
 a pressurized assembly including a pressure vessel defining a chamber adapted and configured to hold therein gas under pressure and having an aperture, and a separable plug sealingly received in the aperture, said plug being movable relative to said pressure vessel between sealed and unsealed locations;   a handle with an actuatable trigger mechanism adapted and configured for the hand of a user, said trigger mechanism being actuatable between a safe position maintaining said plug in a sealing location and a firing position permitting the plug to move to an unsealed location;   an axisymmetric outer nozzle member having an inner surface and being supported by said handle; and   an axisymmetric inner nozzle member having an outer surface and being coupled to said plug and movable with said plug, said inner member being located within said outer member, the inner surface and the outer surface coacting to form a gaspath having a variable cross sectional area that increases in the direction of gas flow;   wherein said plug moves forward from the sealed location to the unsealed location when said trigger mechanism is actuated to the firing position and releases gas from the pressure vessel to flow between said inner member and said outer member.   
     
     
         10 . The weapon of  claim 9  wherein at least one of said outer member or said inner member includes a distally located sharp lip that protrudes into the gas path. 
     
     
         11 . The weapon of  claim 9  wherein the inner surface is conically divergent in the direction of gas flow. 
     
     
         12 . The weapon of  claim 11  wherein the outer surface is conically divergent in the direction of gas flow, and the divergence angle of the outer surface is less than the divergence angle of the inner surface. 
     
     
         13 . A non-lethal weapon, comprising:
 a pressurized assembly including a pressure vessel defining a chamber adapted and configured to hold therein gas under pressure and having an aperture, and a separable plug sealingly received in the aperture, said plug being movable relative to said pressure vessel between sealed and unsealed locations;   a handle with an actuatable trigger mechanism adapted and configured for the hand of a user, said trigger mechanism being actuatable between a safe position maintaining said plug in a sealing location and a firing position permitting the plug to move to an unsealed location, said handle supporting a threaded fitting located in front of said plug; and   a container having a threaded inlet and defining a volume for holding a supply of liquid, the threaded inlet of said container being threadably connected to the threaded fitting of said handle;   wherein said plug moves forward from the sealed location to the unsealed location when said trigger mechanism is actuated to the firing position and releases gas from the pressure vessel to flow into the volume.   
     
     
         14 - 20 . (canceled)