Non-lethal modular crowd control munition
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsJohn W. Woods, Brian Edward Fuchs, Gerard I. Gillen, Gary G. Fairbanks
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Abstract
A modular crowd control munition 10 fires a large number of non-lethal soft pellets into a crowd 100 using an explosive charge. The munition 10 contains a pellet matrix 22 that houses the soft pellets 40, and uses a low energy explosive sheet material 50 at the back of the munition 10 to disperse the soft pellets 40. The munition 10 is used for close-in, “last resort”, crowd control to replace the necessity of using deadly force.
Claims19
A non-lethal modular crowd control munition, comprising:
- a support having a front side and a back side defining a chamber therein;
- a pellet matrix fixed within the defined chamber, the pellet matrix having a substantially uniform thickness and containing a plurality of compartments with each compartment being substantially similar in shape and size with other compartments;
- a plurality of soft pellets fixed within the pellet matrix, wherein each compartment contains approximately an individual soft pellet therein;
- and,
- a low energy explosive sheet material located within the defined chamber and along the back side of the pellet matrix, the explosive sheet material having a thickness and composition sufficient to propel the plurality of soft pellets from the pellet matrix.
A method for crowd control, comprising the steps of:
- providing a non-lethal modular crowd control munition having a support with a front side and a back side defining a chamber therein, a pellet matrix fixed within the defined chamber, the pellet matrix having a substantially uniform thickness and containing a plurality of compartments with each compartment being substantially similar in shape and size with other compartments, a plurality of soft pellets fixed within the pellet matrix, wherein each compartment contains approximately an individual soft pellet therein and a low energy explosive sheet material located within the defined chamber and along the back side of the pellet matrix, the explosive sheet material having a thickness and composition sufficient to propel the plurality of soft pellets from the pellet matrix;
- positioning the munition with the front side facing a crowd;
- and,
- detonating the low energy explosive, wherein the soft pellets are effectively propelled into the crowd.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.