The present invention relates generally to personal protection devices, and more specifically to a stun gun with a finger grip that is carried by a person to provide an electrical and paralyzing shock to an assailant.
Stun guns use a high voltage and a low current electrical discharge to immobilize an assailant. The electrical discharge causes the assailant's muscles to uncontrollably spasm so that the assailant is temporarily paralyzed. The voltage of a stun gun typically ranges between 20,000 to 650,000 volts. Batteries serve as a power supply to electrical circuitry consisting of various electrical components. The circuitry includes a transformer that boosts the voltage in the circuit and reduces the amperage of the electrical current. A capacitor is used to build up and store an electrical charge before discharging the electrical shock through a pair of electrodes to the assailant.
A shortcoming of the prior art stun guns is that they may be dislodged from a user's hand easily when attempting to use in self-defense. Accordingly, what is needed is a stun gun that is easy to grip and to hold securely in a person's hand.
Another shortcoming of the prior art is that the stun gun may be needed in dark and desolate areas such as a parking lot at night, for example, making it difficult to orientate and activate the stun gun. Accordingly, a need exists in the art for an improved stun gun that can be quickly and easily positioned correctly and activated to stop a potential assailant.
It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed.
However, in view of the prior art at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled.
In a particular embodiment, a stun gun with a finger grip is disclosed. The stun gun is configured to fit and be held firmly within a palm of a user's hand and easily gripped with the user's fingers. A trigger is disposed within a finger grip aperture of a front housing and rear housing of the stun gun, where the trigger causes the stun gun to discharge an electric shock through electrodes mounted above the finger grip aperture to stun an assailant. The finger grip aperture is configured and placed on the stun gun to receive the user's index finger (or other finger) therein when the stun gun is being gripped by the user's hand. The finger grip aperture protects the user's finger and prevents the assailant from easily dislodging the stun gun from the user's hand. The user's finger may be placed completely through the finger grip aperture to provide a firm grip on the stun gun including the front and rear housing. In addition, in a struggle with the assailant, the user's finger can remain firmly on the trigger and continue to depress the trigger to repeatedly shock the assailant.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for an improvement that overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art and provides a significant contribution to the advancement of stun gun devices.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds. The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter.
Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the general description, serve to explain principles of the present invention.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring now to
The stun gun 10 includes an on/off switch 16 to arm the stun gun 10. The on/off switch 16 may be placed on either side of the stun gun 10. A trigger 18 is disposed within a finger grip aperture 20 of the front housing 12 and rear housing 14, where the trigger 18, upon being depressed, causes the stun gun 10 to discharge an electric shock through electrodes 22 to stun an assailant. The finger grip aperture 20 is configured and placed on the stun gun 10 to receive the user's index finger (or other finger) therein when the stun gun 10 is being gripped by the user's hand. The finger grip aperture 20 protects the user's finger and prevents the assailant from easily dislodging the stun gun 10 from the user's hand. The user's finger may be placed completely through the finger grip aperture 18 to provide a firm grip on the stun gun 10. In addition, in a struggle with the assailant, the user's finger can remain firmly on the trigger 18 and continue to depress the trigger 18 to repeatedly shock (or attempt to shock) the assailant. The finger grip aperture 20 also helps the user to orientate the stun gun 10 in low light conditions or in a panic situation.
In use, when the trigger 18 is depressed, a discharge circuitry for the stun gun 10 is activated using a circuit board so that the power supply energizes a transformer. A capacitor in turn is charged by the transformer until a predetermined discharge point causes the capacitor to discharge through the transformer that steps up the voltage and produces a high voltage across the electrodes 22.
A bottom-rear perspective view of the stun gun 10 is shown in
The rechargeable plug 24 is shown in
The particular embodiments disclosed above and in the drawings are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention.
It is also to be understood that the following specification and drawings are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between. The particular embodiments disclosed above and in the drawings are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/179,403 filed May 19, 2009. The disclosure of the provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5379179 | Graves | Jan 1995 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100296222 A1 | Nov 2010 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61179403 | May 2009 | US |