Patent Application
20230027371
The present invention relates to police safety devices and, more specifically, to a tire puncture device that can prevent a drive off during a traffic stop or other police action involving a vehicle.
Vehicular stops, such as a traffic stop, present a number hazards for police officers, including the risk that the driver of the vehicle will drive off when the police officer reaches the vehicle. Drive offs can result in serious injury to police officers, including being hit or dragged by the vehicle when it drives and the potential for high speed pursuits that can lead to crashes and injury of innocent by standards. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a compact device that can be used deployed quickly, efficiently, and safely by a police officer to ensure that a stopped vehicle cannot be driven off and thus reduce the potential for injury or a high speed chase scenario and that can also optionally provide an automated warning of an attempted drive-off
The present invention is a device for preventing a drive off during a traffic stop that can be easily deployed by a police office to puncture the tire of the vehicle if it is driven off during the traffic stop. The device has a base support a plurality of spikes and a handle pivotally coupled to an end of the base that is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The handle is telescopic so that it can be extended for easy deployment of the device by the officer. The handle may include a visual indicator and can be magnetic to attach to the side of the vehicle. The base may include a flexible cover positioned over the plurality of spikes. The device may include an electronic circuit configured to detect a deployment event and to illuminate a visual indicator in response to detection of the deployment event. The electronic circuit can be configured to detect a puncture event and to use a communication link to report the occurrence of either or both of the deployment event and the puncture event to a remote host.
The device may be used to prevent a drive off during a traffic stop by pivoting the handle into the deployed position and positioning the device proximately to a tire of a vehicle involved in the traffic stop so that the base extends in front of the tire. Prior to positioned the device, handle may be telescoped so that it increases in length. The handle may be attached to the side of the vehicle by engaging a magnetic portion of the handle with a side of the vehicle. A visual indicator associated with the handle may be illuminated when the handle is moved into the deployed position. After the traffic stop, the handle may be disconnected from the side of the vehicle. The handle may then be collapsed and pivoted into the stowed position for placement in the vehicle of the police officer.
The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to the figures, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in in
Device 10 comprises a base 16 and a handle 18 pivotally coupled to one end of the base 16. Base 16 supports a plurality of spikes 20 that are dimensioned to puncture tire 14. The length of spikes 20 can be selected to ensure that any conventional tires encountered by a police officer will be adequately punctured. Spikes 20 could comprise any sharp structure that will cause a puncture in tire 14 including pyramids, blades, caltrops, etc. The number and positioning of spikes 20 may also be varied or determined based on standard tire dimensions and to optimize the likelihood of a puncture in a large percentage of tires to be encountered. For larger trucks, buses or commercial vehicles, the dimensions of device 10 and/or spikes 20 may need to be increased. Spikes 20 may also be hollow and detachable from device 10 for use against self-sealing or run flat tires and to ensure deflation rather than an explosive decompression.
Base 16 is illustrated as being generally planar, but could be trapezoidal or even cylindrical, and can include feet or supports 24 to orient base 16 into the appropriate position for deployment and support base 16 for use in any road surface, such as pavement, sand, or stone, or in the event of ice or snow. As seen in
Handle 18 preferably telescopes for easy deployment by a police officer without resulting in a distraction. Handle 18 may then be collapsed and then folded against base 16, as seen in
Referring to
Referring to
Device 10 this allows a police officer to properly position a deflation tool while reducing the need to take their eyes off the driver area of the stopped vehicle. Device 10 also avoids the need for the police officer to bend over or take an excessive amount of time deploying device 10.
