Systems and methods for a dart for a conducted electrical weapon

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10712136-B2
Application number	US-201715678794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Apr 19, 2017
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

A system for a practice electrode (e.g. dart) for a conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”). An officer issued a CEW is required to practice with the CEW in order to maximize its safe and effective use in a stressful situation. Preferably, training is performed using equipment as similar as possible to the equipment an officer uses in the field. Training with a CEW may include using a CEW to launch darts toward a human target. Training with a CEW against a live target may be improved, at least from the perspective of the target, by using a practice dart that is similar in weight and flight to a conventional electrode, but that does not pierce target clothing or tissue or deliver a high voltage current through the target. A practice dart may be similar to a conventional electrode, but include additional structure (e.g. cap) that prevents piercing. The additional structure and/or a non-conductive filament may be used to reduce a likelihood of or preclude delivery of a current through the target.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deployment unit comprising:
a dart, the dart includes a spear having one or more barbs, a body, and a cap; and
a propellant; wherein:
activation of the propellant launches the dart from the deployment unit;
the cap is positioned around at least a portion of the spear;
the one or more barbs interfere with an inner surface of the cap to couple the cap to the spear forward of the body; and
the cap prevents the spear from piercing clothing, tissue, or the clothing and the tissue.

2. The deployment unit of claim 1 wherein the cap is formed of a non-conducting material.

3. The deployment unit of claim 1 wherein the cap includes a passage, the passage receives the at least the portion of the spear, and an inner surface of the passage latches onto at least one of the one or more barbs to couple the cap to the spear.

4. A deployment unit comprising:
a dart, the dart includes a spear, the spear includes a barb;
a cap, the cap includes a passage and a lip inside the passage; and
a propellant; wherein:
the spear is positioned inside the passage;
an interference between the lip and the barb mechanically couples the cap to the dart;
the propellant launches the dart from the deployment unit;
before, during, and after launch, the cap remains coupled to the dart; and
the cap prohibits the spear from piercing clothing, tissue, or the clothing and the tissue.

5. The deployment unit of claim 4 wherein:
the deployment unit further comprises an overlay;
the overlay covers at least a portion of the cap;
the overlay mechanically couples to the cap; and
the overlay is configured to mechanically couple the dart to a provided target.

6. The deployment unit of claim 4 further comprising a filament coupling the dart to the deployment unit, the filament configured to conduct a provided stimulus signal, wherein:
the cap prohibits delivery of the provided stimulus signal to a provided target via the filament.

7. A deployment unit comprising:
a dart, the dart includes a body, and a spear, the spear configured to pierce clothing, tissue, or the clothing and the tissue, the spear having a barb, the barb configured to couple to the clothing, the tissue, or the clothing and the tissue;
a cap, the cap includes a cavity; and
a propellant; wherein
activation of the propellant launches the dart from the deployment unit;
the spear is positioned inside the cavity so that the cap fully covers the spear;
the barb physically contacts at least one of an interior surface of the cavity, a protrusion inside the cavity, and an adhesive inside the cavity to retain the cap positioned over the spear; and
the cap prevents the spear from piercing the clothing, the tissue, or the clothing and the tissue.

8. The deployment unit of claim 7 wherein the dart further comprises a filament, wherein:
prior to launching the dart, the filament is stored in the body of the dart; and
movement of the dart from the deployment unit deploys the filament from the body of the dart.

9. The deployment unit of claim 1 further comprising a filament positioned in the body of the dart, wherein movement of the dart from the deployment unit deploys the filament from the body of the dart.

10. The deployment unit of claim 3 , wherein the inner surface of the passage comprises one or more protrusions that interfere with the at least one of the one or more barbs to couple the cap to the spear.

11. The deployment unit of claim 1 further comprising an overlay, wherein:
the overlay is coupled to an external surface of the cap; and
upon impact of the dart with a provided target, the overlay is configured to couple the dart to the provided target.

12. The deployment unit of claim 11 wherein the overlay includes one of a hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastener and a loop portion of the hook-and-loop fastener.

13. The deployment unit of claim 11 , wherein the overlay includes a nose and blades each coupled to the nose, each blade of the blades having a length.

14. The deployment unit of claim 13 , wherein the length of each blade of the blades is greater than a length of the cap.

15. The deployment unit of claim 13 , wherein:
the external surface of the cap includes a tip of the cap;
the nose of the overlay couples to the tip of the cap; and
each blade of the blades of the overlay folds over the cap.

16. The deployment unit of claim 15 , wherein each blade of the blades is coupled to the nose by a material; and
a width of the material is reduced to facilitate folding of each blade of the blades over the cap.

17. The deployment unit of claim 4 , wherein the lip protrudes from an inner surface of the passage; and
the lip is configured to flex to permit the barb to pass by the lip when the spear is inserted into the passage.

18. The deployment unit of claim 7 further comprising a filament coupling the dart to the deployment unit, wherein the filament is formed of a non-conducting material.

19. The deployment unit of claim 7 further comprising an overlay, the overlay coupled to an external surface of the cap, wherein:
the overlay includes a first structure; and
upon contact of the dart with a provided target, the first structure is configured to mechanically couple the overlay to the provided target.

20. The deployment unit of claim 7 further comprising an overlay coupled to an external surface of the cap, wherein the overlay extends beyond the cap to cover a portion of the body of the dart.

Assignees

• Axon Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Salisbury Luke A
• Gish Michael E
• Coles Kevin Brian Terence

Classifications

• F42B8/12 Primary

  Projectiles or missiles (F42B10/48, F42B12/36, F42B19/36 take precedence) · CPC title

• F41H13/0025

  for remote electrical discharge via conducting wires, e.g. via wire-tethered electrodes shot at a target · CPC title