Entangling Projectile Deployment System for Non-Lethal Restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current non-lethal ranged weapons systems, such as Tasers and pepper spray, are either not effective in subduing fleeing subjects without causing unnecessary pain or have limitations in range and safety, prompting the need for alternative solutions that can temporarily impede a subject's movement without resorting to lethal force or close proximity hand-to-hand combat.
Innovation Solution
A projectile deployment system featuring an entangling projectile with a pair of pellets and a tether, launched from a casing with a pressure source, which can be activated to expel the projectile and wrap around a subject's legs, temporarily restricting their movement by engaging clothing and applying equal and opposite forces to secure the tether in a taught configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If electrical muscular disruption weapons (Taser) are used, then ranged engagement capability is improved, but safety concerns and public perception of excessive force worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical muscular disruption (Taser) with a purely mechanical entanglement system consisting of pellets, tether, and hooks. This mechanical system provides ranged engagement capability while eliminating concerns about electrical shock and excessive force, as it physically restrains rather than disrupts muscle function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful electrical component from the engagement system and replaces it with a benign mechanical entanglement mechanism. The core engagement function is retained through the pellet-tether-hook system, while the harmful effects of electrical disruption are completely removed.
2Speed
If mace or pepper spray are used, then ranged engagement is achieved, but range is limited and pain to subjects worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical irritant systems (mace, pepper spray) with a mechanical entanglement system. This provides extended range compared to spray systems while eliminating the painful chemical irritation effect, achieving restraint through physical entanglement rather than sensory overload.
3Ease of operation
If hand-to-hand combat is used, then direct control is achieved, but safety risks to officers worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an entangling projectile system as an intermediary between the officer and the subject. This allows the officer to maintain safe distance while still achieving control objectives, eliminating the need for close-proximity hand-to-hand combat and its associated safety risks.
4Strength
If firearms are used, then lethal force capability is provided, but appropriateness for many situations worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the force parameter from lethal (firearms) to non-lethal but effective (mechanical entanglement). This provides sufficient force capability for restraining subjects while making the system appropriate for a broader range of situations where lethal force would be excessive, achieving versatility across different threat levels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively and safely restrains subjects from a distance, allowing law enforcement to maintain safety while temporarily incapacitating them, with a high success rate of engagement and minimal risk of injury, as the pellets and tether configuration ensures a clean and accurate deployment.
Implementation Method 1
A selectively activatable pressure source can be capable of expelling the entangling projectile from the projectile casing toward a subject
Data Source
AI summary
A projectile deployment system includes an entangling projectile that includes a pair of pellets and a tether connecting the pellets. A projectile casing includes a pair of sockets, each socket sized to carry one of the pair of pellets, each of the sockets including a longitudinal axis, the pair of sockets being positioned relative to one another such that the longitudinal sockets diverge horizontally away from one another while at least a portion of one of the sockets is arranged vertically higher than another of the sockets. A selectively activatable pressure source is capable of expelling the entangling projectile from the projectile casing toward a subject. A launcher carries an activator operable to activate the pressure source to expel the entangling projectile from the projectile casing toward the subject.