Compressed gas personal protection device

A non-lethal weapon, comprising:

• a pressurized assembly including a pressure vessel, a separable first plug, and a separable second plug, said second plug being located at least in part within said pressure vessel and attached to said first plug;
• a handle with an actuatable trigger mechanism for the hand of a user, said handle being adapted and configured to permit sliding travel of said pressurized assembly relative to said handle between a safe location and a firing location, said trigger mechanism being actuatable between a safe position restraining the sliding motion of said pressurized assembly and a firing position permitting the sliding motion of said pressurized assembly;
• said pressure vessel having a distal end with a first opening and a proximal end with a second opening and a first chamber therebetween adapted and configured to hold therein gas under pressure;
• said first plug having a forward end that sealingly couples to the opening of the proximal end of said pressure vessel and an aft end, the aft end including a passageway providing fluid communication from the first chamber to the exterior of said first plug;
• said second plug having a forward end that seals with the opening of the distal end of said pressure vessel in the first position and an aft end that attaches to said first plug;
• and the weapon further comprising:
• means for biasing said pressurized assembly from the safe location to the firing location, said biasing means including gas pressure.
• wherein said biasing means moves said pressurized assembly from the safe location toward the firing location when said trigger mechanism is actuated to the firing position

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.

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.

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;
• a housing containing a munition supported by a pressure-actuated sabot, said sabot being slidably actuatable within said housing from a storage position to a launched position;
• and
• 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 actuate said sabot and said sabot launches said munition.